The exodus of stable, norm-setting Black families, combined with the chronic joblessness left in their wake, led to social isolation and what Wilson called “maladaptive behaviors.” Teenage pregnancy, single-mother households, welfare dependency, drug trafficking, and violent crime had reached striking new heights by the mid-1970s. While his critics challenged the concept of ghetto “culture,” Wilson (who is African American) wrote that “culture is a response to social structural constraints and opportunities.”
