In the African-American culture, why are young peole so against "Snitching"?

Question

I am a high school teacher in a school with 85% African-Americans. I love my job and my students, and I have learned so much from them and the whole hip-hop/African-American culture. They are so against "Snitching" - telling on each other - even if they know their peer was in teh wrong and it had nothing to do with them. I guess it's an honor thing, because they always talk about respect and such?? But if honor is such a big deal, why do they all cheat on classwork/homework/tests??

Answer 1

It's in every culture, young and old. It's about respect and loyalty.

Answer 2

I agree that you see forms of all of this in many cultures.  I live in Baltimore, the birth place of the "stop snitching" campaign and I've been involved in many conversations about this.  I think it has more to do with selling someone out to the perceived power structure.  It doesn't matter if their friend was wrong - you don't tell "the man".  In this case, you are "the man".  

It's often tied to African Americans because they have been the victims of so much institutional oppression.  They have often had more reason not to trust the powers that be - the police, courts, teachers, social service workers, etc.  

If you have a problem with someone you handle it.  You don't report it.

Answer 3

I would say that it's less of an African-American thing and more of a young, silly and stupid thing by not putting "respect, honor and integrity" in the proper areas. Hopefully, as maturity and wisdom comes, these qualities will shift to more meaningful areas.

Answer 4

English schoolboys hate the snitcher so it has nothing to do with African-American culture.

It is to do with mutual trust and whilst even now I would not inform on someone breaking the law in a minor manner ie no road tax. but I would not hesitate for serious crimes such as murder or burglary  especially were an old person was the victim.

So far as cheating in class is concerned just think of w.hat you are, you are "Authority" we all like to get one over authority which is yyet another reason why I will not report a tax dodger

Answer 5

This is what the problem is. You are dealing with a lower income student population. Race plays a little part it is more about the social set up of poverity. If you don't have money, a nice, house, clothes, your school is not a center for learning, what happens is the only thing that becomes important is family and friends. When their is no money these things can be achieved without payment. What they are doing is making sure the group excepts them. This is far more important than what outsiders would consider the right thing to do. To them it is not cheating it is finding a way to cheat a system that they believe they can never truely be a part of or succeed in. Now this system can be set up to be fair to them, but they percieve it to benefit others, not them. Hip Hop really pushes this thought process. I deal with this on my basketball team, and it really made me sick they would make sure they all got punished then turn in a team mate, even though they know their wrong.

Answer 6

I would not say it's something "African-Americans" only do, any student in highschool, no matter what skin color will back up their friends.  There are some that will tell, but most of them are not going to rat someone else out.

Answer 7

It's a twisted false sense of honor.  Protecting someone who is doing something wrong and probably harming someone else is not honorable.

Answer 8

They feel that they are letting down their race as a whole by snitching on even one.

There is a sense that they have been throught so much as a race, and there are going to be individuals that make mistakes, but you have to cover for those individuals and hope that they learn eventually.

Things are usually handled within the community, and they believe that outside authoritative figures won't understand because they don't have the cultural history that the African American Community has.

Answer 9

its a double standard type thing thats all iam african american and i dont understand it myself. i guess thats their way of sticking together. about the test i guess that just about grades i guess lol