Youth Gangs in American Society

by Shelden, Randall G.; Tracy, Sharon K.; Brown, William B.

• ISBN13: 9780534527457
• ISBN10: 0534527450
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-07-20
• Publisher: Wadsworth Publishing

Summary

This comprehensive survey of the literature on gangs and gang activities in America includes theoretical perspectives on why gangs exist, gang typologies, descriptions of gang activities, and various intervention strategies for dealing with gangs.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Foreword	xvii
Introduction	1	(33)
A Brief History of Youth Gangs	1	(7)
The Recent Growth of Gangs: A Focus on Los Angeles, Milwaukee, and Chicago	8	(9)
Los Angeles Gangs	9	(4)
Milwaukee Gangs	13	(1)
Chicago Gangs	14	(2)
Some Concluding Thoughts on the Recent Growth of Gangs	16	(1)
What Is a Gang?	17	(5)
Chicago's Use of Descriptors to Define Gang-Related Crime	22	(2)
Stereotypes of Gangs	24	(1)
How Many Gangs and Gang Members Are There?	25	(4)
Gang Migration	29	(2)
Summary	31	(3)
What Do Gangs and Gang Members Look Like?	34	(27)
A Word of Caution	34	(1)
An Overview of Gang Structures	35	(2)
Illustrations of Gang Typologies	37	(4)
Types of Gangs	37	(1)
Types of Gang Members	38	(3)
The Supergangs of Chicago: People and Folks	41	(1)
Ethnic and Racial Typologies of Gangs	42	(7)
Chicano Gangs	42	(2)
Asian Gangs	44	(1)
Vietnamese Gangs	44	(3)
Chinese Gangs	47	(1)
Filipino Gangs	48	(1)
African-American Gangs	49	(1)
White Gangs	49	(4)
Skinheads	50	(1)
Stoners	51	(1)
Taggers	52	(1)
Some Common Characteristics of Gang Members	53	(6)
Gang Members as Defiant Individualists	54	(2)
Gang Members as Victims and Victimizers	56	(3)
Summary	59	(2)
The Gang Subculture	61	(36)
The Nature and Origins of and Socialization into the Gang Subculture	62	(7)
Joining a Gang	69	(5)
Reasons for Deciding to Join a Gang	69	(2)
Gang Recruitment	71	(2)
Additional Comments on Gang Recruitment	73	(1)
Who Does Not Join a Gang?	74	(1)
Leaving the Gang	74	(2)
Belief Systems of Gang Members	76	(2)
A Case Example: The Code of the Streets	78	(4)
Social Control in the Gang	82	(1)
Gang Members and Their Families	83	(4)
Gang Graffiti and Tattoos	87	(7)
Purposes and Styles of Graffiti	88	(6)
Summary	94	(3)
Criminal Activities of Gangs	97	(31)
Introduction: An Overview of Gangs and Crime	97	(4)
Entrepreneurial Activities of Gangs	101	(3)
The Gang as a Business: A Case Study of the Diamonds	104	(4)
Gang Violence	108	(8)
Individual Violence by Gang Members	111	(3)
Organizational Gang Violence	114	(2)
Gangs and Drugs	116	(3)
The Drug-Dealing Business of Gangs: Skolnick's Study	119	(6)
Summary	125	(3)
Girls and Gangs	128	(31)
Trends in Girl Gang Membership	131	(4)
Girl Gang Membership and Their Crimes	132	(2)
Types of Female Gangs	134	(1)
Moving Beyond the Stereotypes: The Social Context of Girl Gangs	135	(21)
Class and Race	136	(2)
Crime and Drugs	138	(5)
Reasons for Joining the Gang	143	(5)
Relationships with Males and Male Gangs	148	(4)
Family-Related Issues	152	(2)
School and Work	154	(2)
Some Concluding Thoughts	156	(1)
Summary	157	(2)
Why are There Gangs?	159	(31)
Social Disorganization/Social Ecology Theory	160	(5)
Strain Theory	165	(7)
Strain Theory and the Institutional Structure of Society: Crime and the American Dream	167	(3)
Differential Opportunity Structures	170	(1)
Social Embeddedness	171	(1)
Cultural Deviance Theories	172	(3)
Cohen's Culture of the Gang	173	(1)
Lower-Class Focal Concerns	173	(2)
Control Theory	175	(2)
Social Learning Theory	177	(3)
Gangs and Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs	178	(2)
Rational Choice Theory	180	(2)
The Labeling Perspective	182	(2)
Critical/Marxist Perspectives	184	(3)
Summary	187	(3)
Gangs in Context: Inequality in American Society	190	(20)
Recent Changes in the U.S. Economy	191	(2)
The Development of the Underclass	193	(3)
Recent Changes in the Labor Market	196	(4)
Isolation in the Inner Cities	200	(3)
Poverty and Family Structure	203	(2)
How These Changes Relate to the Growth in Gangs	205	(3)
Summary	208	(2)
Community-Based and National Intervention Strategies	210	(31)
Introduction	210	(2)
Types of Intervention Strategies	212	(8)
Spergel and Curry's Typology of Interventions	213	(1)
The Perceived Effectiveness of These Strategies	214	(1)
Other Intervention Typologies	215	(5)
A Risk-Focused Approach	220	(1)
The Social Development Strategy	221	(3)
Components of Successful Programs	224	(1)
Some Specific Illustrations of Community-Based Interventions and Programs	225	(7)
A Model Program: The Detention Diversion Advocacy Project	229	(3)
Broad-Based National Strategies	232	(7)
Summary	239	(2)
Legal Intervention Strategies	241	(25)
A Historical Overview	241	(3)
The Legal Response to Youth Gangs	244	(20)
Law Enforcement	244	(10)
Prosecution	254	(2)
The Courts	256	(4)
Legislatures	260	(4)
Summary	264	(2)
Conclusions	266	(9)
References	275	(19)
Name Index	294	(5)
Subject Index	299