Cognitive Geocoding: African American males mapping safety in Chicago

Navigating community violence is routine for urban African American males ages 15-24. Adolescent African American male living in a violent neighborhood must determine where to walk, who to avoid, and what time to leave their home all before school.  Quantitative researchers have linked community violence exposure to depression, PTSD and anxiety; poor academic achievement and a lack of future orientation. Qualitative researchers note that African American males cope with community violence by following a “code of the street” which dictates expressions of masculinity and presentation in their neighborhood. However, current literature lacks a frame for understanding what African American males know about their neighborhood in particular how they conceptualize safety. Data from a qualitative study of 20 high-achieving adolescent African American males in Chicago found that one way African Americans males navigate community violence is by mapping safe and unsafe locations in their neighborhood. I termed this interaction cognitive geocoding. Cognitive geocoding is as a behavioral process that links meaning-making of one’s social environment and spatial landscape to coding safe and unsafe locations. As a cognitive model, meaning-making is interpreted based on (1) mapping boundaries; (2) mapping landmarks; and (3) mapping people. This information is then used to geocode the neighborhood by: (1) drawing a mental map; (2) coding that map with safe and unsafe locations, oftentimes using precise street addresses and intersections; and (3) navigating their respective neighborhoods based on time of day. The implications of cognitive geocoding for reducing violence and victimization for African American males are discussed