Sex, Scams, and Street Life: The Sociology of New York City's Times Square

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For more than 60 years, Times Square has reigned as one of New York's premiere tourist attractions. In recent years, an average of 20 million people visit New York City, and Times Square is a sight most do not miss. The reason for this is that Times Square holds something for everyone: theaters, restaurants, entertainment, and a transportation center that brings almost 400,000 people into the city every day. For a sociologist interested in studying crime and the ways in which deviant networks and communities emerge, Times Square offers numerous opportunities. Because large segments of these groups pride themselves on anonymity, many researchers employ ethnographic research methods. The articles in this manuscript focus on the various aspects of Time Square using the ethnographic approach. The topics include the sex trade, drugs and drug dealing, recent redevelopment efforts, the social ecology of Times Square, and a discussion of police operations in this marketplace.

Reviews

"Its complete treatment of Times Square informs those of us who seek to revitalize our urban centers and provides us with a remarkable breadth of experience and vision that can be applied elsewhere. Students of sociology, planning, political science, criminal justice, social work, and history will all benefit from this well-written and coherent treatment of our nation's most salient urban symbol."-Kirk W. Elifson, Professor of Sociology Georgia State University
"This is a very valuable contribution on one of the best known but least understood urban scenes in the United States. This book looks at the street life of Times Square from many different angles and perspectives which allows the reader to go behind the scenes and observe the sociology of urban life. The book is particularly strong in detailing the ethnographic method that is enjoying a resurgence in sociology. For that reason this book will be useful in a research methods class to give students a view of the richness of qualitative method."-John Fuller, Ph.D. Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice West Georgia College
Prostitution, drugs, and pornography are salient topics of this book. McNamera describes the day-to-day commerce of illegal and a few legal activities.-Journal of Criminal Justice
"Prostitution, drugs, and pornography are salient topics of this book. McNamera describes the day-to-day commerce of illegal and a few legal activities."-Journal of Criminal Justice

Author Bio

ROBERT P. MCNAMARA is Assistant Professor of Sociology at Furman University. He is the author of The Times Square Hustler: Male Prostitution in New York City (Praeger, 1994), Crime Displacement: The Other Side of PreventionThe Urban Landscape: Selected Readings with Kristy McNamara (1995), Managing A Deviant Status: Field Research and the Labeling Perspective with Deanna Ramey and Linda Henry (1995), Sex, Drugs, and HIV (forthcoming), and Police and Policing with Dennis Kenney (forthcoming). He has been a consultant for state, federal, and private agencies on topics such as AIDS, drug abuse, policing, and gang violence.