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Spergel, Irving A. Papers

Descriptive Summary

Title
Spergel, Irving A. Papers
Dates
1937-1997
Language
Documents in English
Size
3.5 linear feet (8 boxes)
Repository
Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center
University of Chicago Library
1100 East 57th Street
Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A.
Abstract
Irving A. Spergel, sociologist, social worker, and George Herbert Jones Professor Emeritus of the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration, is a groundbreaking researcher of youth gangs. The Irving A. Spergel Papers span the years 1937-1997, but are concentrated in the 1960s-1980s. Materials in the collection include reports, dissertations, conference proceedings, policy papers, lecture notes, case books, pamphlets and newsletters.

Information on Use

Access

Series IV: Restricted, contains a draft of a dissertation, restricted until 2069.

The remainder of the collection is open for research.

Citation

When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Spergel, Irving A. Papers, [Box #, Folder #], Hanna Holborn Gray Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library

Biographical Note

Irving A. Spergel (A.B. Social Sciences, City College of New York, 1946; A.M. Social Work, University of Illinois, 1952; Ph.D. Social Work, Columbia University, 1960), is a groundbreaking researcher of youth gangs and juvenile delinquency.

Through his work with communities and gang youths, Spergel developed a national model for the suppression of gangs and prevention of youth gang violence. Bringing together communities, law enforcement, social agencies, and government organizations, the "Spergel Model" emphasizes community organization, social and legal intervention, and organizational development. Spergel has also written over 100 books and articles, including Racketville, Slumtown, Haulburg: An Exploratory Study of Delinquent Subcultures (1964); Community Problem Solving: The Delinquency Example (1969); and the seminal The Youth Gang Problem: A Community Approach (1995).

Spergel joined the faculty of the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration in 1960. He has also held appointments in the Department of Sociology. He is now the George Herbert Jones Professor Emeritus of the University of Chicago's School of Social Service Administration. In 2006, he was honored with the SSA symposium "What Works: Addressing the Community Youth Gang Problem in the United States."

Scope Note

The Irving A. Spergel Papers span the years 1937-1997, but are concentrated in the 1960s-1980s. The collection is organized into four series:

Series I: Research, contains reports, dissertations, conference proceedings, policy papers, offprints and photocopies of articles. This series includes writings by Spergel, as well as by others in the field of social service and sociology. Much of Spergel's work in this series reports on research funded by the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission in the 1970s. This series is organized alphabetically by principal author; when none is given, the work is alphabetized by title.

Series II: Teaching, contains lecture notes and case books for sociology and social service administration courses taught by Spergel and others. Also included are additional sample case reports, and procedural notes.

Series III: Organizations, contains pamphlets and newsletters from the Chicago Area Project, materials used by the National Research Council's Committee on Law and Justice for planning a workshop on youth gangs, and a directory of social service organizations in the Little Village neighborhood of Chicago.

Chicago Area Project, pamphlets and newsletters, 1993-1994

Series IV: Restricted, contains a draft of a dissertation reviewed by Spergel and others in the School of Social Service Administration.

Processing Information note

This collection was surveyed as part of the Black Metropolis Research Consortium's Survey Initiative on 2010 January 21 by Lisa Calahan and Bergis Jules.

Related Resources

The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections:

  • http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/select.html
  • University of Chicago. School of Social Service Administration. Records

Indexed Terms

INVENTORY

Series I: Research
Box 1
Folder 1
Title
"The Boston Strategy to Prevent Youth Violence: Selected Materials," Boston Police Department and Partners, 1997
Box 1
Folder 2
Title
"Breaking through Barriers: Report on the Hard-to-Reach Youth Project of Chicago," Welfare Council of Metropolitan Chicago, 1960
Box 1
Folder 3
Title
Brune, Tom, and Eduardo Camacho, “A Special Report: Race and Poverty in Chicago," Community Renewal Society, 1983
Box 1
Folder 4
Title
Caplan, Nathan S., Dennis J. Deshaies, Gerald D. Suttles, and Hans W. Mattick, “The Nature, Variety and Patterning of Street Club Work," Chicago Youth Development Project, 1963
Box 1
Folder 5
Title
Chaskin, Robert J., "The Ford Foundation's Neighborhood and Family Initiative: Toward a Model of Comprehensive, Neighborhood-Based Development," Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, 1992
Box 1
Folder 6
Title
"Community Development Corporations: A Strategy for Depressed Urban and Rural Areas," Ford Foundation, 1973
Box 1
Folder 7
Title
Davidson, Mary, Darryl Maurice Burrows, and W. David Braughton, “Unraveling Community Satisfaction in Logan Square and Avondale: A Report of the Advocacy Research Seminar," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1979
Box 1
Folder 8
Title
Hagedorn, John M., “Gang Violence in the Post-Industrial Era," University of Chicago, circa 1990s
Box 1
Folder 9
Title
Korbelik, John P., James P. Lynch, and Irving A. Spergel, “Interorganizational Baseline Study: Preliminary Analysis: Community Structures and Youth Serving Systems in Chicago South and Decatur," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1977
Box 1
Folder 10
Title
Kyle, Charles Lambert, Jr., "'Los Preciosos': The Magnitude of and Reasons for the Hispanic Drop Out Problem in Chicago: A Case Study of Two Chicago Public High Schools," Northwestern University, 1984
Box 1
Folder 11
Title
Lynch, James P., and Irving A. Spergel, "A Police Decision Cohort Analysis: 1. ISOS Impact on Local Communities; 2. Status and Delinquent Offender Careers," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1979
Box 2
Folder 1-3
Title
Miller, Walter B., "Crime by Youth Gangs and Groups in the United States," National Institute of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, United States Department of Justice, 1982
Box 2
Folder 4
Title
"Neighborhood Development and Organization," Community Fund of Chicago, 1973
Box 2
Folder 5
Title
"Neighborhood Organization: Case Reports," National Federation of Settlements and Neighborhood Centers, 1968
Box 2
Folder 6
Title
Rossi, Peter H., Gene A. Fisher, and Georgiana Willis, "The Condition of the Homeless in Chicago: A Report Based on Surveys Conducted in 1985 and 1986," Social and Demographic Institute, University of Massachusetts, and National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, 1986
Box 2
Folder 7
Title
Scott, Michael, "Self-Help in Rural Mexico: Santa Maria's Well," Community Development Journal, 1977
Box 3
Folder 1
Title
Sosin, Michael R., Paul Colson, and Susan Grossman, “Homelessness in Chicago: Poverty and Pathology, Social Institutions and Social Change," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1988
Box 3
Folder 2
Title
Spergel, Irving A., "Youth Gang Activity and the Chicago Public Schools," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1985
Box 3
Folder 3
Title
Spergel, Irving A., and John P. Korbelik, "The Local Community Service System and ISOS: An Interorganizational Analysis," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1979
Box 3
Folder 4-5
Title
Spergel, Irving A., John P. Korbelik, and James P. Lynch, "The Local Community Service System and ISOS: An Interorganizational Analysis," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1979
Box 3
Folder 6
Title
Spergel, Irving A., John P. Korbelik, Frederic G. Reamer, James P. Lynch, and Joseph Alexander, "Evaluation of the Illinois Status Offender Services Project," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, circa 1979
Box 4
Folder 1-4
Title
Spergel, Irving A., James P. Lynch, Frederic G. Reamer, John Korbelik, and Joseph Alexander, "Evaluation of the Illinois Status Offender Services Project," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, circa 1979
Box 4
Folder 5
Title
Spergel, Irving A., and Lawrence J. McKeon, editors, "Report of The Illinois Governor's Conference on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: Evaluation Sessions," School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, circa 1979
Box 4
Folder 6
Title
Thomson, Doug, “The Key Person Community Analysis Process: Toward an Integration of Field Work and Survey Approaches," Barton-Aschman Associates and Department of Sociology, University of Illinois-Chicago, 1976
Box 4
Folder 7
Title
Underhill, Ralph, “Methods in the Evaluation of Programs for Poor Youth," National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, 1968
Box 5
Folder 1-2
Title
Vanecko, James J., “Community Organization Efforts, Political and Institutional Change, and the Diffusion of Change Produced by Community Action Programs," National Opinion Research Center, University of Chicago, 1970
Box 5
Folder 3-4
Title
"Woodlawn Service Program Planning Study," University of Chicago, 1972
Box 5
Folder 5
Title
"Woods Fund of Chicago: Evaluation of the Fund's Community Organizing Grant Program," Woods Fund of Chicago, 1995
Box 5
Folder 6
Title
"Youth and Society in Illinois: Summary and Policy Implications," Institute for Juvenile Research, Department of Mental Health, State of Illinois, 1975
Box 6
Folder 1
Title
Zurcher, Louis A., Alvin E. Green, Edward Johnson, and Samuel Patton, “From Dependency to Dignity: Individual and Social Consequences of a Neighborhood House," Menninger Foundation, Highland Park-Pierce Neighborhood House, and Highland Park- Pierce Neighborhood Committee, 1967
Series II: Teaching
Box 6
Folder 2
Title
Sociology 23, L.J. Henderson, introductory lectures, 1937-1938
Box 6
Folder 3
Title
Sociology 23, L.J. Henderson, introductory lectures, 1938-1939
Box 6
Folder 4
Title
SSA 301, Social Intervention and Social Work Practice, Gitlin, course readings, circa 1979
Box 6
Folder 5
Title
SSA 457, Community Development, Irving A. Spergel, case book, circa 1979
Box 6
Folder 6
Title
SSA 492, Community Development, Irving A. Spergel, case book, circa 1979
Box 6
Folder 7
Title
Sample case reports, circa 1960s
Box 6
Folder 8
Title
University of Chicago Youth Studies Program, procedural notes for the coding of detached worker interviews, 1962
Series III: Organizations
Box 7
Folder 1
Title
Chicago Area Project, pamphlets and newsletters, 1993-1994
Box 7
Folder 2
Title
Committee on Law and Justice, Commission on Behavior and Social Sciences and Education, National Research Council, youth gangs workshop memoranda and readings, 1991
Box 7
Folder 3
Title
Little Village organizations directory, circa 1990s
Series IV: Restricted
Box 8
Folder 1
Title
Mary Ann Hartnett, "Judicial Review of Children in Substitute Care," dissertation, School of Social Service Administration, University of Chicago, 1989