Mumbai "Slums"

Why do you think violence is increasing in spite of poverty decreasing in South and Central America? What are some contributing factors to violence?

The demographics of these violent crimes stood out to me- Young people are "out of work, out of school, and out of options." Aspirational crime exists when it is one of few, if not the only, options an individual has to advance in society. The opportunity cost of committing violent offenses is lower than its alternative. And why? I theorize because of the offender's likelihood of facing jail time. "In Latin America, just 20 of every 100 murders result in a conviction; the global rate is 43 in 100." In Latin America, we see a competitive advantage in being able to commit murder and not face any legal repercussions. As crude as this sounds, in economic terms, this competitive advantage incentivizes violent crime within the Latin American region.

Do you agree that the United States should emulate the slums in Mumbai? Why? If not, are there other things we can do to combat the violence and substance abuse in the inner cities?

Reading this article helped expand the conversation from the previous video we watched set in Dharavi. The realization I made while reading is that the slums in Mumbai are filled with generalists, while in the United States, we are encouraged to become specialists. In the U.S., culturally, we put a lot of pressure on finding your "dream job," and for more affluent folks, attend your "dream university." This "American Dream" inadvertently creates a hyper-focus on achieving a specific goal. When goals aren't achieved, it can devastate the person and affect their confidence moving forward in future endeavors. Failure is a part of life, but it is not intuitive to understand that, especially with the development of the internet, where we can view everyone's highlight reels on social media. Observing this potential trap and comparing it to the success of the Mumbai slums, I see an opportunity for the U.S. to rethink urban planning. Giving folks purpose and a sense of community will inherently improve mental health and, therefore, I theorize, reduce violence and substance abuse—however, one thing. We are a culture of individuals, not collectivists. I cannot see this change receiving much traction. It simply goes against our cultural beliefs.