Within the context of this book, alienation refers to the isolation experienced by people trapped in systemic urban poverty, who are in turn confined by the rules and expectations of the code of the street. More specifically, this alienation produces a detachment from governmental institutions and clear paths to long-term economic growth.

Where civil law fails, the code of the street prevails, particularly in contexts where urban poverty pushes people to desperation. The code of the street replaces civility with its own set of prescribed regulations and guidelines, many of which are based on respect and do not preclude the possibility of violence.

Anderson presents a dichotomy between the two types of families that operate within the code of the street. According to Anderson, “decent families” are generally more willing to accept the values of mainstream culture and orient their lives around aspirational goals of living a better life. This requires a willingness to play by the rules of civil law and cultural respectability.