Learning Responsibility On The City Sidewalks Summary

Jane Jacobs’ passage “Learning Responsibility on the City Sidewalks,” argues that children in cities learn how to become part of a responsible society through adult strangers, who look after the children who are playing on the streets. The adults can address the children’s behavior, teaching them lessons which could only be taught on the streets. According to Jacobs, these lessons are as important for a child as safety and protection.
She goes on to say that the lessons taught by hired caretakers, rather than non-paid adults in the city, can not replace lessons learned on the sidewalk as the lessons show the children that the hired caretakers’ actions are fueled by being paid, not from public responsibility. Lessons learned by children could transform the children into future responsible adults with positively viewed behavior. …show more content…
The children learn what behavior is accepted in society, making children act properly. Also, children learn to have public responsibility with people in their community. Sometimes when children are playing on the streets their own parents are unaware of all the children's actions. Therefore, lessons from strangers near the child could advise the child what not to do, which would benefit his safety and empathy toward others. For example, a child who walked down a busy street away from his parents, and were about to cross the street without checking for cars. An adult aware of what is going to occur could tell him to use the crosswalk, which could potentially save the child’s life and make him think that strangers who care for one another are normal