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Old 10th April 2013, 15:59   #1
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The 'Broken Windows' Theory

Came across this article when reading Jeff Atwood's blog in codinghorror.com. Thought I would share with other BHPians.

Link: http://www.codinghorror.com/blog/fil...%20Windows.htm

(The original article should be available in Atlantic Monthly site which I have not checked)

I initially thought of posting this under "Street Experiences" section - either in "Vandalism" or "Rants on Bangalore's traffic situation". But then this applies to so many facets in our personal and professional life apart from being relevant to some threads in "Shifting gears" section - so thought of posting it here.

(Broken Windows is a theory in Criminology . More details here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broken_windows_theory)
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Old 11th April 2013, 22:31   #2
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

I totally agree with the broken window theory. Although by disclosing this I run the risk of losing the dignity of being a Team-bhpian.
Well when I brought my car, I didn't had my own covered car parking. I used to keep the car very very unclean with lots of dust settled. I used to take it to get a proper car wash and again being lazy waited for the dust to accumulate and then again get the car washed from a professional. To add to it as somone suggested that washing the car with little water (as my building does not has a water tap in the parking area) can cause more scratches It became a habit for me to follow this practice. I used to drive the car very less in this period and used to idle for weeks.

Then one fine day taking advantage of the "Broken Window concept" one guy decides to scribble something on my bonnet. This had not happened when the car used to be reasonably clean, same happened for my dads old scooter when it was left unattended and unwashed it became a place for the building sweeper to keep his buckets :( . I learned the lesson hard and now I practice to repair the windows ASAP.
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Old 12th April 2013, 13:14   #3
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

I have hardly seen a police vehicle doing patrol rounds in Pune, let alone a policeMAN doing foot rounds!

How is the situation in other cities? (I have lived in Vizag - didn't exist, Hyderabad - didn't exist)
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Old 13th April 2013, 12:55   #4
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

Quote:
Originally Posted by alpha1 View Post
I have hardly seen a police vehicle doing patrol rounds in Pune, let alone a policeMAN doing foot rounds!
Actually, I do often see policemen (2 up on bikes) making rounds of the streets at all hours , here in Pune.
One of them is even armed with a 9 MM carbine and the person up front may be armed with a small sidearm.
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Old 15th April 2013, 10:50   #5
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

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Originally Posted by sajo View Post
Actually, I do often see policemen (2 up on bikes) making rounds of the streets at all hours , here in Pune.
One of them is even armed with a 9 MM carbine and the person up front may be armed with a small sidearm.

Which side of the city?
I am at Wanawadi - I guess patrolling may be dependent on the crime rate of that area ...

Last edited by alpha1 : 15th April 2013 at 10:52.
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Old 16th April 2013, 11:48   #6
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

^^I dont think crime rate has got anything to do with it (middle/upper middle class kothrud). I have seem them in upmarket Model Colony and Prabhat road areas too, areas not really known for their crime rates.
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Old 16th April 2013, 13:39   #7
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

The below paragraph in the article summarizes yesterday's accident in Jaipur where none stopped by to help the family in distress. In Indian situation, the legal tangles one might possibly get into later, further exacerbates the situation.

"Psychologists have done many studies on why people fail to go to the aid of persons being attacked or seeking help, and they have learned that the cause is not "apathy" or "selfishness" but the absence of some plausible grounds for feeling that one must personally accept responsibility. Ironically, avoiding responsibility is easier when a lot of people are standing about. On streets and in public places, where order is so important, many people are likely to be "around," a fact that reduces the chance of any one person acting as the agent of the community. The police officer's uniform singles him out as a person who must accept responsibility if asked. In addition, officers, more easily than their fellow citizens, can be expected to distinguish between what is necessary to protect the safety of the street and what merely protects its ethnic purity."
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Old 17th April 2013, 18:14   #8
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Re: The 'Broken Windows' Theory

Quote:
Originally Posted by AltoLXI View Post
The below paragraph in the article summarizes yesterday's accident in Jaipur where none stopped by to help the family in distress. In Indian situation, the legal tangles one might possibly get into later, further exacerbates the situation.

"Psychologists have done many studies on why people fail to go to the aid of persons being attacked or seeking help, and they have learned that the cause is not "apathy" or "selfishness" but the absence of some plausible grounds for feeling that one must personally accept responsibility. Ironically, avoiding responsibility is easier when a lot of people are standing about. On streets and in public places, where order is so important, many people are likely to be "around," a fact that reduces the chance of any one person acting as the agent of the community. The police officer's uniform singles him out as a person who must accept responsibility if asked. In addition, officers, more easily than their fellow citizens, can be expected to distinguish between what is necessary to protect the safety of the street and what merely protects its ethnic purity."
This is classical "Someone else's problem" phenomena or "some one else will take care". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somebody_Else's_Problem

But the basic underlying reason for this phenomena is apathy and selfishness only. Perhaps you may qualify that by saying "within acceptable limits" of selfishness and apathy to go about in their daily lives without mental stress ...
http://hitchhikers.wikia.com/wiki/So..._Problem_field
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