Category: Gang

Criminal Activity: Fellowship And Brotherhood In Gangs

Gangs are a big thing in the world all around, some more dangerous than others. These gangs use illegal actions and rivalries to make them an income outside of a job. Gang membership is on the rise for many reasons, and membership comes at a cost. Therefore, preventing and intervening in gang membership is of serious importance. Whether its drug distribution or all the way up to killing someone, it’s definitely a life you wouldn’t want your child heading to. But, some speculate there are a number of reasons leading to young kids joining these gangs. Those problems include racism, poverty, friends & family, and music.

Most rappers that are huge right now made it out of the situation they were in and did it along with their gang. An example could be Youngboy Never Broke Again who claims 4KT. While they do blow up with their gang, some of the members might let their fame get to them and start asking for money all the time. At this point, all ties are cut with that person and they move on. Gangs can either be a city/neighborhood thing or they could be worldwide.

33,000+ motorcycle gangs, street gangs, and prison gangs those of which are all violent are currently active criminally in the U.S. Today. You might ask yourself “why are these young people are joining gangs?”. Well, The Los Angeles police department helped identify these reasons to everyone.

“Identity or Recognition – Being part of a gang allows the gang member to achieve a level of status he/she feels impossible outside the gang culture.”

“Protection – many members join because they live in the gang area and are, therefore, subject to violence by rival gangs. Joining guarantees support in case of attack and retaliation for transgressions.” “Fellowship and Brotherhood – To the majority of gang members, the gang functions as an extension of the family and may provide companionship lacking in the gang member’s home environment. Many older brothers and relatives belong, or have belonged to the gang.” ” Intimidation – Some members are forced to join if their membership will contribute to the gang’s criminal activity. Some join to intimidate others in the community not involved in gang activity.” “ Criminal Activity – Some join a gang to engage in narcotics activity and benefit from the group’s profits and protection. Unfortunately, few youths realize the hazards associated with gang involvement. In many cases, parents are unaware of their children’s gang activity and are unable to intervene until it’s too late.” These all seem like reasons that are understandable but the Criminal Activity is not good for anyone. It’s all just a way to get money even though the people that worked for it are losing out on their hard earned income.

Gang Violence: The Issue Of The Violent Nature Of Crime In South Africa

South Africa is unceasingly making headline news being affected by crime and violence. The country has been afflicted by this problem for centuries and seems to be forever troubled with such indignations. Unfortunately, this issue is a deep-rooted one, and goes way back as far as the period of colonialism. The history of violence and its roots are therefore a very sensitive and contentious subject. This paper will therefore look at violence in South Africa by first doing a brief assessment of the difference between crime and deviance from a sociological perspective, and then exploring historical factors relating to violence in the country. In addition, the focus on gang violence will be emphasised to the extent of its inception and its detrimental consequences. Furthermore, will the theoretical perspective of Karl Marx’s conflict theory be used to illuminate and substantiate this issue of gang violence. Finally, a reflection on violence post-apartheid in South Africa will be done with the purpose of gaining some understanding of where South Africa is at twenty five years into democracy.

Crime, Deviance and Violence: Sociological Perspectives

It has been established that the line between crime and deviance is very distinct. According to Adler (2001), crime can be defined in many terms and from many perspectives, but whichever definition is decided upon, will determine how the perpetrators and the victims of crime will be treated. It will also influence how we see ourselves as individuals and the society we form part of (Adler, 2001). However, generally, crime is perceived as behaviour that is regarded as the breaking of a law against society, and these types of behaviours are therefore punishable by law. Sutherland (2003) stated very simply that crime is a misbehaviour that is damaging to society.

On the other hand, deviance can as well be seen from different perspectives. Giddens (2009) defined deviance as the non-conformity of an individual in a particular society or community, where there are given social norms that each member of that society should follow. Another definition according to Crossman (2019), is that deviance is a behaviour that infringes on social norms, and it can be criminal or non-criminal. Examples of deviance can be such as nudity in public, making use of prostitutes, being inebriated in public, or even dressing ‘weird’. Some people also view deviance as a coping mechanism or as asserting control, while others may see a person’s actions as irrational, but for that person it is rational. Deviance is therefore a very complex matter.

According to Degenaar (2009) violence has to do with extreme force carried against another. Degenaar (2009) also believed that violence needs to be looked at from different levels and perspectives. He further place violence into three major categories which are physical, psychological and structural violence, in order to give a better understanding into this matter (Degenaar, 2009). In addition, Degenaar argued that certain types of violence can be justified. For instance if someone attacks a person, and the victim uses self-defence. This type of violence would then be justifiable.

Historical Factors: Violence in South Africa

Historically, it is the psychodynamics and social aspects that comes to the fore when looking at the theme of violence (Cavanaugh, 2012).Therefore, from whichever perspective violence is looked at, it needs to be viewed at from the point of where and how it all started. It was Frantz Fanon that uncovered some hard truths concerning the background of violence. Fanon (1963) claimed that it was the coloniser that brought about the idea of the ‘civilised’ and the ‘uncivilised’. This was done with the intent of proving their superiority (Fanon, 1963). It was therefore the “superior” race that introduced violence in order to maintain their status (Fanon, 1963). The violence from their side was in the form of police and soldiers, while the colonized realised that violence could in-turn be the only way they could re-claim their dignity and humanity (Fanon, 1963).

Similarly, did Kynoch (2008) believe that the colonials used violence to regulate and subjugate the black people. Kynoch (2008) added that it was the “state sanctioned violence” during colonialism and apartheid that were the historical dynamics that subsidised the high levels of violence we experience in this country today. The forms of violence enforced on black people were by means of “police brutality, torture, gender and race discrimination, oppression and dehumanisation” (Kynoch, 2008). This directed violence into the mining compounds, prisons and ultimately the urban areas (Kynoch, 2008). This form of violence became exclusive to colonial Africa (Kynoch 2008). Thus proving that people in this country were predisposed to violence in so many ways. According to Fanon (1963), the only way to overthrow the colonial rule was through decolonisation and by liberating themselves of the mind-set forced upon them by the colonist, but this would be a violent process.

Gang violence and its detrimental consequences

Abrahams (2010) stated that it was the very laws that segregated people that played a highly influential role in the formation of gangs in South Africa. The inception occurred when Africans of different ethnic groups were placed in the same lodges on the mines (Abrahams, 2010). This set up inevitably created a sense of wanting to belong, which then brought about the creation of gangs (Abrahams, 2010). The most notorious gang during that period in South Africa, was the Ninevites (Abrahams, 2010). They were infamous for taking the law into their own hands, including dealing with the white capitalists that ill-treated black workers (Abrahams, 2010). Kynoch (2008) stated that the Ninevites were gradually wiped out by the government due to them targeting the white people.

It was around the 1950’s when the Tsotsi gang emerged (Abrahams, 2010). Most of the tsotsi’s were not imprisoned when they were found guilty, they were sent to Pondoland instead (Abrahams, 2010). This then resulted in the penetration of gangs in urban areas (Abrahams, 2010). Prisons on the other hand, had a continuous inflow of African males being incarcerated (Abrahams, 2010). The law made no effort to separate the hardened criminals from those that were first offenders, and this automatically gave rise to prison gangs being formed (Abrahams, 2010).

Consequently, violence was spreading on the mine compounds, prisons and in the townships. Kynoch (2008), revealed how township gang members would rape women and girls on the streets and even in their own homes. The law and police response was ineffective and deliberately slow (Abrahams, 2010). In addition, it was evident that certain gangs were supported by the state, which encouraged urban violence even more (Abrahams, 2010). The segregation laws of the 1950’s therefore created a very unequal nation (Abrahams, 2010). The whites were living in wealthy areas while the people of colour had to settle on the outskirt areas (Abrahams, 2010).

Gang violence based on the conflict theory

Karl Marx was the father of the conflict theory and highlighted a social perspective that points towards factors that creates conflicts in society (Carver, 1982). The main understanding of this theory is focused on how the rich and powerful prey on the poor and the disadvantaged (Carver, 1982). It also highlights the maintenance of social status and inequality. The ultimate goal of the conflict theorist is for social change and equality (Carver, 1982). It has however been proven that inequalities exists in almost every area of life as the capitalists are always pursuing ways to maintain their status.

It is such inequalities that causes “lesser” groups like the gangs to rise up and fight back. The competition in this regard is for power. The ones in authority are always trying to gain more power, while the gangs are merely attempting to hold on to the little power that they do have. Fanon (1963) disputed that even after colonialism, business people and property owners tried to take up positions held by the colonial. Instead of freeing people of the inequalities, they reproduced it for their own benefit and well-being.

This therefore perpetuated the struggles against inequalities and thus caused gangs to retaliate even more so (Fanon, 1963). Due to the historical factors that aided to the formation of gangs initially, gangs were now more determined to avoid a repeat of what was done to them before. Additionally, the fact that they were once robbed of their land, identity and power, they would do anything to prevent such injustices done to them even to the extreme. This is evident in the fact that gangs are territorial, they have their own identity and always fight to maintain power.

Violence post-apartheid

Violence in South Africa has clearly caused tremendous strain on the citizens as it makes headline news on a daily basis. According to 2007 statistics from the South African Police Services (SAPS), there has been a decrease in violent crimes throughout the country (Pillay, 2008). The general feel amongst the population does not agree with this finding. The government has made an effort to encourage social unity in an attempt to reduce violent crimes (Pillay, 2008). Despite all efforts made, violence and atrocities related to it, seemed to be at an all-time high.

Very recently, the country experienced xenophobic attacks that were very brutal and violent. It is the very countries who once hosted our political exiles, whose people are now being hurt, killed and ordered to leave (Khumalo, 2019). Also very recent, and still at present, is the gang violence in Cape Town. The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) was deployed to the city to deal with gang violence (Davis, 2019). Subsequently, the army has been requested to extend the period of deployment (Davis, 2019). Almost every single day someone becomes a victim of crime in one way or another.

Moreover, the country also experienced gender-based violence to the extreme. One of our very own students at The University of the Western Cape (UWC), Jesse Hess, became a victim of this senseless, heinous, crime (Hlati, 2019). Furthermore, was the senseless killings of four children whom were murdered by their own mother (Mabona, 2019). None of these are justifiable in any way or form. The sad fact is that we are twenty five years into democracy and it is as if not much has changed.

This paper has looked at the issue of the violent nature of crime in South Africa. It considered the various definitions of crime, deviance and violence, in order to provide some different perspectives. A brief investigation was done to gain some historical factors that could possibly explain the violent nature of crime. The aspect of gang violence was then explored by looking at its inception and its consequences. Furthermore, Karl Marx’s conflict theory was used to view the status of gangs and the reasons behind some of their actions in their plight to maintain power. Then lastly, this essay looked at violence post-apartheid and some of the very recent experiences the country had to deal with.

Gang Violence: The Crime Of The Streets

In 1980, a brutally violent civil war broke out in El Salvador. Thousands of Salvadoran refugees poured into the United States seeking a better life. One of those refugees was a boy named Nelson. Nelson and his family landed in a guetto neighborhood of Los Angeles. While his parents worked numerous jobs, Nelson spend much of his time by himself, in a new country still trying to adapt to new customs and the English language. When he and other Salvadoran kids went to school, they were bullied by Chicano kids because of their foreign accents and cultures. Thinking that enough was enough, one day they took all the violence they’d known as kids and combined it with the anger they built up inside. So, that year, they formed a group of their own, Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13. The tables turned when suddenly the victims of constant bullying became the bullies themselves. Years later, in 1996, the U.S. government deported a large number of immigrants including Nelson. Now an adult, who spoke English and wore gangster clothes, he didn’t fit into Salvador’s culture anymore; other Salvadorans realized, but they didn’t torment him. Contrary, they wanted to be like him meaning they wanted to join MS-13. A country trying to recover and rebuild from a war, unexpectedly, had the first ever gang problem on their hands and it only got worse (Ted, 2018). In a recent TED Talk, Gerardo Lopez, a former MS-13 member, before speaking about why he joined the gang and how he found a way out, goes back to the beginning by recalling this unbelievable story that MS-13 is the tragic outcome of a tragic environment.”

Before those major events occurred that would result in the creation of one of the most notorious gangs in the country, the roots of gangs in the U.S. trace back to their surface on the East Coast circa 1783. New York’s street gangs, the first ever form of gangs, developed in three periods; the ones responsible form the formation of gangs in this northeastern part were the English, Irish, and German immigrants. Contrary to the later ones, these gangs known as “the forty thieves,” “the bowery boys,” and “the fly boys,” included youngsters fighting over local territory (Howell & Moore, 2010). Years later, in 1820, questions toward the seriousness of these gangs ceased to exist as they began their involvement in violent activity. Not long after, a wave of Poles, Italians, and Jewish immigrants began to flood and with that began more rise in gangs. The 1920’s and 1930’s, a time of rising crime, showed the establishment of Mexican-American and African-American gangs. By the 1920’s, New York City, gangs shared a link with well-known organized crime groups such as the Italian’s established, American Mafia. They were partners in crime for corrupt businesses. Afterwards, gangs spurred at different times in three other regions. They began to flourish not only in the Northeast but in the Midwest, West, and South as well. Another large city that showed that organized crime groups were prevalent was Chicago. The West region showed to have the first appearance of gangs in the early 1890’s. By the 1960’s the two most famous gangs in history emerged, Bloods and Crips. Meanwhile, the South coast rose much later as important gang territory.

Today, gangs have evolved; prison, hybrid, motorcycle, and youth gangs are among those that have emerged since the traditional street gang. These gangs often form along racial or ethnic lines. Studies show a greater percentage existing of Hispanic/Latino (46%) and African-American (35%) gang members compared with other race or ethnicities. Los Angeles is home for Hispanic gangs; its members use slang that is a combination of English and Spanish language. They are referred to as “cholo(a)s,” meaning “Chicago gangster,” or “pandillero(a).” African-American gang members are mostly seen in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago. Due to society’s perspective of them, black gang members deal with constant discrimination and racism that exists more than in any other racial gangs. The other 11% consists of white and 7% among other gang members (Asian) (Cassada, 2010).

The term “gang” has no official definition as may meanings exist, none which have been established as the universal one. Researcher and author of The Gang, Frederic Thrasher, states that a gang is “an interstitial group, originally formed spontaneously, and then integrated through conflict. It is characterized by the following types of behaviors…The result of this collective behavior is the development of tradition, unreflective, internal structure…and attachment to a local territory.” Thrasher’s definition influenced multiple researcher’s definition of a gang. Gang bangers are proud of who they are, and they want their presence to be known. So, they employ characteristics such as a name, logo, colors, clothing style, hand signs, and tattoos. These features set gangs apart from one other; they each have their own. Each gang has a distinctive name and claims control over their turf, which can be a block, neighborhood, or an entire part of their city. Gangs will often use graffiti and vandalize property with their symbols and colors to inform the community that they marked their property. Graffiti is not simply art, gang graffiti on buildings and other public places is also used to bring intimidation to rival gangs. Gangs are identified by their colors worn by their members. The traditional gangster clothing style is the Nike Cortez shoes, Dickie Pants, Panettone shirts, and bandannas around the head or hung loosely in the back pocket.

Becoming a part of a gang means making a commitment. Besides proving their pledge of loyalty and gaining the other members trust, he or she must go through a tough initiation first-that involves a strict procedure before making their position official. Yet, they are willing to do whatever it takes to be a part of something bigger and more powerful than themselves. For males this means being beaten, fighting against current member(s), or carrying out a mission, or committing a crime. Meanwhile, females, most of the time, have two options: being hit for a short amount of time or having sexual intercourse with gang veterans.

People constantly hear about them in the news, gang bangers have been called murders, violent, destructive, lawbreaking, and criminals. A lot of what people have heard about gangs is true, while some of it tends to be incorrect. The form that news media interprets gangs often misleads the concept of their reality. Mike Carlie, a professor of sociology and criminal justice at SMSU, argues that mass media misinterprets the gang problem by focusing on individual gang violence rather than on the social causes that contribute to the formation of gangs. Often, the media presents black youth as a representative of all gang bangers. People’s view of gangs is also shaped by law enforcement, who typically define gangs as “organize crime” (Stark, 2000). Therefore, the distorted image created in the people’s mind is that the world is a completely frightening place. The press has published a large number of gang-related articles, and the most controversial trending topic is Trump vs MS-13. Although information may be false, the fact that gangs are dangerous is without no doubt.

Statistics suggests that young adults joining gangs is a serious problem that America faces. According to an FBI report, 1.4 million are currently active in more than 33,000 U.S. gangs. As of 2010 reports from law enforcement agencies show that teenagers ages thirteen to eighteen make up the largest percentage of the gang demographics across the country. There are about 24,500 youth gangs with approximately 772,500 teen members, this is equal to 7% of the U.S. teen’s population (Frieden, 2011).

As research shows. the number of young adults involved in gangs has spiked. There are many factors that contribute to why youths join gangs. According to Karen L. Kinnear, she references that those main reasons are peer pressure, poverty, and lack of parenting (Kinnear, 2009). In some cases, being in a gang runs in the blood. Daily, young adults are pressured not only from their friends but their family as well to be a part of a gang; most of the time, they tend to look up to their role models, but sometimes those models are not good ones. Rather than being told not to follow in their footsteps, they are encouraged to carry on the family legacy. There have been times when they remind themselves that they’re not meant for that lifestyle, but they feel like they have that sense of duty. People have come to believe that gangs were the result of the growing number of dysfunctional or broken families. Gang member usually come from the low-class city areas, and many of them are recent immigrant to the U.S. Teens feel frustrated when their parents don’t provide them with their standard necessities. When they see an opportunity to help their family financially, they sacrifice themselves by joining. Lopez was born in L.A.; the neighborhood he grew up in as a kid was MS-13 territory. As a child, he knew he did not want to be a part of a gang; sadly, his mother wasn’t around most of the time, and he would spend much of his time alone in the streets. One day, an MS-13 gang member pointed a gun at his face and robbed him. He would try to dodge him, by doing anything to avoid being seen, which meant traveling miles outside of the neighborhood in order to escape the gangs; he wasn’t safe no matter where he went. Lopez recounts the time he saw them from his apartment window celebrating Nelson, who recently came back from El Salvador. Unlike Nelson, who had respect, power, and pride, Lopez yearned to have those three things. It wasn’t until then that he wanted to be revered in his own neighborhood, so at only 14 years of age, he chose to join MS-13. All that glory he felt vanished in thin air; it wasn’t long before he regretted his decision. Before attaining gang membership, teens think that joining is their only option for survival and there’s no other door open for them. Unfortunately, like Lopez, many youths are affected by the role of social factors and fall victims to believing that there is no other option. However, they must realize that they always have a choice. They should realize that gang membership means seeing as how they are putting their lives at risk and sacrificing and dealing with the dangers and ruthless streets.

Throughout the years, the amount of gang violence has increased and the number of deaths due to the violent acts has skyrocketed. The aftermath of it all is that the loved ones of the innocent lost lives are left behind to endure the pain. Gangs are responsible for 48% of violent crime, in most jurisdictions (Frieden, 2011). The #justiceforjunior trial is the latest that drew outrage among the city and across the nation. On June 20, 2018, at nearly midnight, Lesandro “Jr.” Guzman-Feliz, laid dead right outside of St. Barnabas Hospital. Minutes before a group of gang members, who carried machetes and knives, hunted and dragged Jr. from a Bronx-neighborhood bodega. the incident, captured by, revealed the barbaric strategies of the gang called the Trinitarios, a Dominican gang that was established in New York prisons, went viral on all social media platforms (Wabc., 2018).

Gangs rob the youth of their teenage years, and whatever the reason they had for joining deprived them from a normal life. The love they claim they have for the gang and for brotherhood blinds them from a future. They start making bad choices, are exposed to a life filled with violence and filthy crimes that will eventually land them in jail. Many like Lopez, lament joining in the first place and feel regretful. After a series of life reflecting, Lopez decided it wasn’t too late for him to get out. Therefore, there should be more done to help prevent further gang involvement. Unfortunately, like he mentions, society also plays a huge part in this. Society tends to ignore young people who are following a wrong path and pay less importance. Preventing greater spikes of gang violence begins with preventing young adults from joining gangs or having any involvement with them. By telling his personal story, Lopez wants to raise attention to the current ongoing issue. Alex Sanchez, a former MS-13 gang brother that he looked up to, told him about the opportunity to join his gang intervention group. Part of Lopez was reluctant; he feared not knowing who he would be without the gang. He thought about the younger generation than him and was inspired to get out. Lopez states how young vulnerable kids want to feel that sense of belonging and accepted, which is a main target for gangs. They don’t have to go the same route as their friends and family, there is always a different path, the right one. Sadly, not all make it, as families are left behind mouth fill with prayers that it wasn’t their child’s dead body laying underneath a white sheet. The strong bond they form with their brothers fades once they see their bodies in caskets. The youth must be led in the right path. With the help of the program and his personal will, Lopez soon realized that members from other gangs felt the same, the only thing that separated them was the name of their gang. At the program they learned to express themselves without using drugs and violence, and it took them traveling to different places to share their story and more people listened. By speaking to audiences, they gained the same feeling of respect, pride and power they had while being a gangbanger. Lopez faded away from the gang, ultimately leaving. He admitted that not even a police department welcomed the gang intervention group instead treated unlawfully. After receiving his degree in criminal justice, Lopez worked in youth detention facilities as a youth counselor to continue to get kid gangs. Although MS-13 was his past, he continued to be punished by society for his past. Lopez stresses the importance to get kids out of gangs. They feel alienated and just want to belong and belong, feel valued and have a purpose; it’s no surprise why Lopez decided to join. After leaving MS-13, Lopez had his gang intervention group to support him. Strong families are key to violence prevention group session interactions build a mutual understanding across generations (Ted, 2018). Unfortunately, most people don’t have that luck. They have nowhere to turn to and nowhere to go. Lopez states 70% of kids who try to leave a gang but don’t have another support system in place fail. The only way to accomplish to get kids out and keeping them out is to create an environment that will support them through every stepping stone. Now, Lopez, is the executive director of Homies Unidos Denver, a gang violence prevention and intervention organization. This facility empowers youth and families to become advocates of social change rather than agents of self-destruction. The sense of self-esteem that a gang provides them is false you have to love yourself first no one can do that for you. Their negative actions have impacted their family’s communities and each other. They begin taking responsibility for their actions.

What started as a group of street kids hanging out in the boroughs of New York led to the emergence of modern-day gangs. The current growing gang problems the nation faces are the results of years of complex factors. Today, gangs have become a tragic epidemic. Unfortunately, like Lopez, other gang member’s life has become the tragic outcome of a tragic environment. Throughout history, gangs have been cultivated and become profoundly recognized as the most feared group, such as MS-13 being considered the most “dangerous” gang in the world. Gangs have highly developed from the late 18th century to present day. Gangs are the cause of the increased number count in deceased tortured people occurring around the world. The fear being consumed by everyday gang violence eats away the lives and hopes of others.

Works Cited

1. Cassada, Raychelle. “Teen Gangstas.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 11 Oct. 2010, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/teen-angst/201010/teen-gangstas.
2. Curran, Amanda. “Common Characteristics of Gangs.” Http://Www.wsfa.com, 24 Apr. 2009, www.wsfa.com/story/422734/common-characteristics-of-gangs/
3. Dudley, William, and Louise I. Gerdes. Opposing Viewpoints: Gangs. Gale., 2005., pp. 24-31
4. Frieden, Terry. “FBI Report: Gang Membership Spikes.” CNN, Cable News Network, 21 Oct. 2011, https://www-m.cnn.com/2011/10/21/justice/gang-membership-increase/index.html?r=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2F
5. Friedrichs, Matt. Gangs: Problems and Answers, Ethics of Development in a Global Environment (EDGE) , 26 July 1999, https://web.stanford.edu/class/e297c/poverty_prejudice/ganginterv/gangsproblems.htm
6. Stark, Evan. Everything You Need to Know about Street Gangs. Rosen Pub. Group, 2000., pp. 35-40
7. Wabc. “Justice for Junior: After Innocent Bronx Teen’s Death, Lawmakers Take Aim at Gang Violence.” ABC7 San Francisco, 28 June 2018, https://abc7news.com/justice-for-junior-puts-focus-on-fighting-gang-violence/3670121/

The Outsiders: Gangs Stereotypes

The Outsiders, written by a 15-year-old S.E Hinton is an enticing and compelling Bildungsroman telling the story of 14-year-old, Ponyboy Curtis’ life along with his gang in the 60s, Tulsa, Oklahoma. The gang goes through a tough journey together being known as Juvenile delinquents and greasers along with facing the soc’s, stereotyping, grief and the life of being an outsider. Hinton draws you into her novel “The Outsiders” by using key themes such as stereotypes and gang culture. These themes are worth acknowledging as they are relatable and captivating to the reader. With the novel being published over 50 years ago, the themes are still relevant to our society today. We’ve all encountered stereotyping with or without noticing. Gang culture may not be as relevant today, but the topic stays intriguing.

Stereotypes are negative to society because they are not always reality. People don’t always act the way they are portrayed. In the text, the greasers are stereotyped as Juvenile Delinquents, lower class and show too much emotion. The socs, on the other hand, are the complete opposite. This is shown in the text through dialogue in the quote said by johnny “there’s gotta be someplace without greasers or soc’s, just people.” Johnny says this because he wants there to be a place where people aren’t pressured, portrayed and stereotyped. This makes the reader feel empathetic towards the greasers, the author uses that empathy to give the reader an understanding that being stereotyped isn’t always positive and has a negative effect on society and our wellbeing. This is further analyzed back to the theme of the outsiders that the “bad people” are portrayed unfairly and are the complete opposite of inadequate.

Being in a gang, its like family, you have each other’s backs, just like the greaser gang. The lifestyle of the greaser gang is that they’re affectionate towards each other without having to show it. The members always looking out for one another. Throughout the novel its shown that the gang is always keeping an eye out for each other. An example of gang culture is portrayed through the use first-person narration said by Dallas ‘You take up for your buddies, no matter what they do. When you’re a gang, you stick up for the members.” This shows the reader that the greasers will go to great lengths to protect each other and protect their friends. The author creates suspense to suspect just how far they will go protect each other. The audience relates to the characters by feeling the same affection towards their friends. The theme draws us into the world of the outsiders and tells us that gangs are not just gangs but family.

Hinton drew you into the world of “The Outsiders” by including her key themes, stereotypes and gang culture. These themes gave important messages to the reader and made us think about our lives as an outsider.

The Italian Mafia as One of the Largest Organized Crime Groups in Canada

Over the past years, crime has become a major issue of societal and public concern, often leading to the dysfunctional factors of society. As society continued to develop, certain individuals, also known as sociologists, began to study why members of society engaged in crime. These studies led to the acknowledgment that crime is extremely diverse and can be categorized into different segments. A particular segment that contributes significantly to crime would be organized crime.

The term organized crime tends to be associated with ‘The Mafia’, ‘Cartels’, and ‘Scarface’, due to the influence of media. The appropriate definition of organized crime can be explained as an ongoing criminal enterprise that intelligently working towards obtaining profit through the engagement in illegal activities (O. Finckenauer, 2005). The structure and organization of these crime groups tend to be the reason for their success within the illicit community.

In Canada, organized crime groups have evolved through social and economic means. One of the many groups that had a great impact in Canadian society was the Italian Mafia. The Mafia was adapted into North America by a small group of Italian immigrants, primarily from Sicily and Calabria (Dubro, Champlain and MacAdam , 2006). This became the one of the many organized groups that engaged in crimes such as murder, drug and firearm trafficking, loan sharking, fraud and numerous others. In early history of the Italian Mafia, members of society began to question the intentions of these immigrants. Specifically, questions regarding whether the Italian immigrants had brought in the culture of Mafia into society or did the conditions in Canada restrict certain individuals from evolving. The Mafia began to arise in Sicily during the late middle ages, in which the possibility of a secret organization. During the 18th and 19th centuries, the aspirations of the private group grew to be powerful and have an higher level of engaging in criminal behaviour. Towards late 19th century, there became an increase of Italian immigrants in Canada which resulted in a greater level of concern of criminal behaviour within the country. The first Italian immigrants primarily settled in Toronto, Montreal, which marked the beginning of the extensive challenges that were faced by Italian immigrants. Due to the many barriers such as, language, culture and people, the Italians remained with, socialized with, and committed crimes with other Italians within their own Italian communities. These communities slowly became known as the Italian Mafia.

The Mafia was recognized for the type of bond they formed with members of the group – Omerta. Omerta, is an Italian word that members of the Italian Mafia obeyed as it conveyed a code of silence (Çayli, 2010). The structure of the Mafia was solely based on family, specifically, these groups can share a bound together by oath, blood and secrecy. Within the Italian Mafia, three sub-groups exist that share “similar structures, rituals, and norms … evolving into violent criminal fraternities” (Schneider, 2017). The first of these groups was called the ‘Ndrangheta’, which originated in the 1860s that consisted with Sicilians who were banished by the Italian government. The Canadian ’Ndrangheta engaged in numerous amounts of criminal behaviour such as, smuggling unlicensed tobacco products, extortion, loan sharking, theft, mortgage and bank fraud. This group was labelled as the Siderno Group which operated particularly in the Greater Toronto Area. The second group was known as the ‘Camorra’, which originated in the 17th century – one of the oldest and largest criminal organizations. The Camorra shared a ‘horizontal’ structure rather than a ‘vertical’ structure, which the other clans maintain (Alesina, Piccolo and Pinotti, 2016). Hence, individuals within this clan acted independently of each other, and were more prone to conflicting within the group. The third group is the ‘Sicilian Mafia’, which was frequently referred to as Cosa Nostra and were common in Canada. This group’s core activity consisted of murder, loan sharking, robbery, narcotics trafficking, illegal gambling and labour racketeering. After the high levels of emigration individuals within the mafia spread to Canada and the United States.

As many organized crime groups, the Italian Mafia was compressed into having a strict structure. In order to maintain a successful group, certain individuals had to declare power positions such as the boss. Specifically, the Sicilian Mafia indicates the importance of having a structural hierarchy within the organization. Unlike the Camorra, the mafia follows a ‘vertical’ structure to guarantee a chain of command. To begin with, the group is structured through the means of a pyramid, where those of higher power are at the top while those whom are not fall under them. The pyramid begins with a leader also known as the boss, which is considered a position that is common in many organized crime groups as they would make all major decisions regarding the group’s ventures. Under the boss would follow the underboss, whose powers greatly varies through different families. These individuals posses the power of arbitrating many of the disputes that arise within the organization. The underboss in a sense enrolls to become the boss’s right hand. After the underboss the individuals begin to branch out, in which they are called ‘lieutenant’. The main role of this position is to maintain and supervise the transactions that are completed by the boss and underboss, particularly the finance matters. The last position of the hierarchy structure within the Sicilian Mafia are the ‘soldiers’, who are members that work for and aid the organization however, may not be considers true members. This stricture enables the mafia to strongly organize and commit crime with a professional manner. It operates similar to a corporate business, those with power instruct individuals below them to complete certain tasks.

One the major attributes of the mafia, can be considered as being highly organized and safe with their ventures. Over the years, the Sicilian Mafia has proven their success within Canada through their various criminal acts. Cosa Nostra was highly based on familism – the idea that the purpose of family carries an higher importance compared to the purpose of the community (Gambetta & Shapiro, 1994) . Members of the mafia honour the relationships they share with their relatives to the degree in which it can be a danger for them and those who surround them.

The Italian Mafia can be seen as a successful organized crime group compared to the other various crime groups. They formulated secret societies in which members of the mafia provided “much needed services to Italian immigrants, but also prayed upon them, primarily through extortion” (Schneider, 2017). Some of the services provided to immigrants included helping to bring over family members, finding jobs, providing money, and fostering social relationships. However, the individuals that founded these societies regularly abused their “positions of power and trust … and forced Italian immigrants to join their society and pay dues” (Schneider, 2017). These secret societies are the outcome of the barriers and challenges Italian immigrants and mafia members encountered after the Prohibition. In addition to these secret societies, another manifestation that began to grow in relation to the Italian Mafia was ‘The Black Hand’. The Black Hand mainly revolved around criminal activities such as the extortion of Italian immigrants. The extortion incorporates a Black Hander whom threatens victims through various forms of violence to extort money from one. Furthermore, these threats involved the kidnapping of a family member, harming a business, or to attack, injure, or kill a family member, or the sue of the Black Hand note. The Black Hand notes consisted with harsh written English in which members demand a certain amount of money.

The Italian Mafia used intelligent methods to execute their ventures and criminal acts. There have been various studies regarding the correlation of the structure and success of organized crime groups. These studies are evident through the discipline of Sociology; sociologists study the connections within organized crime groups and their intentions within society. Over the years, sociologists have developed numerous theories that underline the correlation of certain concepts and behavioural aspects of organized crime groups. These theories can be used to support the understanding in regards to the formation and success of the Mafia. Specifically, Merton’s strain theory highlights the theory in regards to the formation of the Italian Mafia and the enterprise theory which explains the level of success the Mafia encounters. To begin with, Merton’s strain theory sets fourth the idea that of the ‘American Dream’ and the theoretical framework for exampling crime rates. Italian immigrants began to form communities in which they hard the same experiences, values, and beliefs. One the main challenges they encountered can be seen as obtaining economic success. Due to societal goals, immigrants struggled to integrate themselves into society through legitimate means. Through Merton’s strain theory it becomes evident that individuals resort to illegitimate means in regards to obtaining economic status. These means are the result of the various barriers and the disjunction between culturally ascribed goals and the availability of legitimate means. After the prohibition, Italian immigrants joined together to overcome their barriers and attain the goals of economic success which resulted in the formation of the Sicilian Mafia in Canada.

The Italian Mafia’s success can be illustrated through the enterprise theory, “which explains that organized crime exists because the legitimate marketplace leaves unserved or unsatisfied … customers” (Lyman and Potter, 2007). Over the years, products such as alcohol and illicit drugs had high level of demand within the country. Organized crime groups – the Sicilian Mafia – took advantage of this demand towards their own economic benefit by formulating the black market. This theory also highlights the idea that the dynamics of the black market create the increase in illicit ventures. The result of the black market commenced the creation of enormous criminal enterprises to satisfy customers unreached by legitimate enterprises. This further proves the Italian Mafia used proper methods to maintain a success business within the country.

These theories provide some degree of information that explains the engagement of criminal behaviour and organization surrounding these organized crime group. By providing insight into the structure and functions of criminal enterprises, it allows members of society to have knowledge of illegitimate business.

There have been many encounters in which policy makers and law enforcement have had to act upon the Italian Mafia. After the prohibition, the level of criminal behaviour that the Mafia engaged in increased. Law enforcements identified the different families that were considered to be members of the Italian Mafia. However, individuals within the Mafia were highly professional in maintaining secrecy, which resulted in policy makers and law enforcements to seek arrests. It becomes evident that as laws began to change, certain drugs and alcohol became legalized the Mafia’s business decreased. The supply and demand for the black market slowly began to decrease which resulted in members departing from the Mafia. Individuals began to engage in legitimate means as they obtained economic success and met societal expectations.

Overall, the Italian Mafia has been a huge impact within the criminal acts that have occurred in Canada. Their history, structure, and illicit activities make them unique compared the other organized crime groups that entered Canada. Italian immigrant experiences several barriers in which they resorted to engage in illegitimate means in obtained financial success. They engaged in activities that allowed them to have successful businesses that lead them further in society. This group shared a heavy importance on family bonds and honoured Omerta. They slowly evolved into becoming one of the largest organized crime groups within the country which eventually degraded over the years.

Impact and Reasons for Youth to Join Gangs in United States

Gangs are growing at an alarming number in the America you can even go to small towns in United States of America and find some form of gang activity. “Over the past decade, annual estimates of the number of gang members have averaged around 770,000 nationally. The most recent estimate of approximately 850,000 gang members represents an 8.6 percent increase over the previous year” (‘Measuring the Extent of Gang Problems’, 2019). So why do youth join gangs? To have a sense of connection this gives them a sense or a new sense of who they are. Possibility are that they might not be comfortable with the person that they are or have become. Maybe there is another relative in the family that is associated with this organization. So, they embrace a change in lifestyle to become something that they are too gain acceptance. Peer pressure also is a motivating factor, even the need to protect their family. When becoming a product of your environment feels like it is the only option is to take the road most traveled. This results in participating in the local gang activity nowadays is a culture norm. Some risk factors that contribute to affiliating with gang membership. Breaking the law becomes part of your lifestyle.

Gang members tend to: have prior convictions as a juvenile (delinquency), possess an illegal firearm, traffic’s narcotics, and has an anti-social attitude. They desire for reward like status, identity, self-esteem, and protection. “Too little adult supervision, unstructured free time, particularly during after-school hours and on the weekends. A lack of positive roles models and exposure to media (television, movies, music) that glorifies gang violence. Sense of hopelessness about the future because of limited educational or financial opportunity” (“Gangs and Children”, 2019)

Which ethnicity is more like to engage in gang activity? Depicted in Hollywood most gangs are usually African-American, it would be fair to say that society agrees with Hollywood. What comes to mind is the colors red which refers to “Blood” gang and blue referring to “Crips” (National Youth Gang Survey Analysis, 2019). Law enforcement agencies report a greater percentage of Hispanic/Latino and African-American/black gang members compared with other race/ethnicity. The most recent figures provided by law enforcement are 46 percent Hispanic/Latino gang members, 35 percent African-American/black gang members, more than 11 percent white gang members, and 7 percent other race/ethnicity of gang members.

The violence committed by these gangs cause a great number of issues in are communities. The type of violence ranges from several things such as murder, sexual crimes, robbery, drug trafficking just to name to name a few: “A serious threat when you’re talking about homicides and the proportion, overall gangs are responsible for 16 percent of all homicides, but 25 percent in cities with a population of over 100,000” (Axelrod, 2015). Howell said: “About 85 percent of serious gang activity is concentrated in metropolitan areas in the United States.” When these youth join after being recruited, they are required to partake in a criminal lifestyle and to continue to show the loyal to the organization they must still carry out unlawful acts. Due to the alarming number of adolescences entering the gangs the organization realizes that they will prove that no matter the ask of them by any means necessary will “ride” for click. (Federal Data, “Youth.gov”, 2019) “The prevalence of youth under 18 in gangs is higher in smaller cities and rural communities where gang problems are less established, compared to larger cities”.

In conclusion, America faces a huge problem when it comes to the youth becoming members in the gangs. “Communities — not just classrooms — should be regarded as a valuable resource for reaching kids at risk of joining gangs” (‘Changing Course: Preventing Youth From Joining Gangs’, 2019). There are several ways to combat gang membership, but it takes adults caring. The youth must be active and involved in positive activities such as after school sports, clubs even employment opportunities. An active role of the parent in the youth lives makes a difference than they have some type of control over that the individual does. The problem has been identified now it’s time for adults to act by eliminating the number of youths going down the pass of a lifestyle that leads to death or prison because joining a gang.

Systematic Issues in US Causing Youth Violence among Gang Cultures in Spain, Portugal and Latin America

“Most people join a gang because they feel disconnected, alone, alienated. They just want to belong, to feel valued, to have a purpose. Looking back, is there any surprise why I joined MS-13? My ma worked around the clock, I was alone a lot and everybody around me was from a gang”, – Gerardo Lopez, ex MS-13 member [1: TEDx Talks, 2018].

Gerardo’s case is certainly not an isolated one. It is estimated that since the turn of the 21st century, gang membership has been on the rise. When talking about gangs, the logical place to start is with the question: what is a gang? This is, of course, a contested topic but the U.S. Department of Justice defines a gang as “an association of three or more individuals… whose members collectively identify themselves by adopting a group identity which they use to create an atmosphere of fear or intimidation frequently…. [whose] purpose, in part, is to engage in criminal activity….”. Once we have understood the definition of a gang, the next logical step is to ask why young people become members. There is much debate about the various factors that cause young people to choose this path but for the purposes of this essay, I will focus on how issues of identity and belonging can lead young people, specifically Latinos, to join gangs. Many people build their identity during their adolescence and their experiences during that period have a profound impact on their future sense of identity. But what specifically is identity? Hogg and Abrams (1988) define identity as “people’s concepts of who they are, of what sort of people they are, and how they relate to others”, whereas James D. Fearon (1999) dives deeper and defines it as: “A set of attributes, beliefs, desires, or principles of action that a person thinks distinguish her in socially relevant ways and that (a) the person takes special pride in; (b) the person takes no special pride in, but which so orient her behavior that she would be at a loss about how to act and what to do without them; or (c) the person feels she could not change even if she wanted to” [2: Egley Jr, Howell and Harris, 2014], [3: U.S. Department of Justice, 2015].

Belonging is one of the most important factors of adolescence. To understand the impact that belonging can have on a young person, it is important to understand the meaning of it. Whilst also a contested topic, Goodenew & Grady (1993) defined the sense of belonging as “the extent to which individuals feel personally accepted, respected, included and supported” within their social environment. Based on these definitions of identity and belonging, it is clear to see how and why issues of these types can cause young people to make poor choices. In this essay, I will explore some of the main yet varying arguments concerning the role that issues of identity and belonging play in the process of young Latinos in America joining gangs.

As previously mentioned, adolescence is an important period in the construction of identity and an individual’s situation and experiences in adolescence impact their future identity. Therefore, elements such as childhood, living situation and schooling become of vital importance when constructing identities. Issues within these elements can lead to difficulty in forming an individual identity. In terms of Latinos, many are raised by immigrant parents who may be recent arrivals and may not have integrated into American society yet, even if their child was born in the U.S. Many migrants work in low-paid or unskilled jobs in order to survive and live in areas that are poor or segregated from the rest of society with other migrants. This can create various problems which impact the development of a Latino’s identity. Initial problems arise during childhood and the values bestowed upon young Latinos whilst growing up.

The children of migrant parents are torn between two cultures. The culture instilled in them by their parents, i.e. Latino culture, and the culture of their recipient or native country, i.e. America. Whilst, in part, a stereotype, machismo is an important part of Latino culture. Young boys are supposed to grow up to be the man of the house and the provider for the family. This is learned at a younger age when there is no father figure in the household. During childhood, and particularly early adolescence, “males and females (and important adults in their lives) are often especially vigilant to ensure gender role conformity”. Young Latinos need to be seen as someone in charge of both themselves and their futures, someone in control, someone tough. The gang is the perfect environment to identify as this, allowing them to earn money, respect and power [4: ACT for Youth Upstate Center of Excellence, 2002].

This is fueled further by the living situation of many young Latinos. As previously mentioned, many live in poor or segregated areas with other migrants, otherwise known as barrios. These barrios often ‘feature concentrations of alienated, disaffected, and often angry young people; few-if-any adult role models who portray economic or professional success; …and few recreational facilities designed to serve the needs of youths’. This means that there is no-one around for young Latinos to reinforce a positive identity, no-one to demonstrate that fully integrating into American society is possible and no-one to show that social mobility is achievable. There are little-to-no positive ways for young people to spend their time other than to hang around on the streets, where they are given a bad name by the public and law enforcement. This lack of role models and recreational facilities, in turn, causes young Latinos to form their identities around the norms of those around them, i.e. uneducated, poor, working-class citizens that are alienated from society [5: Biddel, 2014, p.33].

The limitation of the barrio continues by impacting the education of its young residents. In the U.S., “neighborhood quality and school quality are strongly linked…, which means that these youth attend schools of poor quality with less skilled teachers and fewer advanced programs”. Their educational experience is plagued with problems, making it difficult for them to see how it is possible for them to finish high school, never mind aiming for higher and attending university. Even those receiving good grades are kept at a lower level because of a lack of advanced programs in these schools [6: Zambrana, 2011, p.115.].

Latino youth in barrios are surrounded by adults and other youth who have not advanced in society, have not been accepted by society and who all follow similar norms or have similar attitudes, beliefs and desires. They have few if any role models to show them how to advance and therefore they follow the examples set for them during the construction of identity and fall victim to their circumstances. They use the gang as an opportunity to prove their masculinity and as a way to identify with those around them, causing the barrio to become a breeding ground for this toxic behavior.

However, it is not only our immediate surroundings which shape the way in which we form our identity. The concept of interpellation perfectly describes how society affects identity construction. Interpellation, in simple terms, means that we are defined by the way in which we are perceived. We may have an identity and a sense of who we are but we also behave in response to how we are seen by others. This means that the stereotypes and preconceptions about Latinos in America play a role in the formation of their individual identities, fueling the problems caused by their immediate surroundings and personal circumstances [7: Althusser, Jameson & Brewster, 2001].

An example of this is society’s view of the barrio. Migrant communities in America are somewhat banished to these poor barrios, but poverty is seen as a consequence of an individuals’ or an individual communities’ own ‘”stupidity”, “laziness”, “irresponsibility”, “criminality” or other supposed character defects. Society tells residents of the barrio that it is their fault that they do not have enough money, access to adequate schooling or opportunities to advance when, in reality, this is not the case. Latinos feel as though they have to adopt the same identity as those around them as the stereotypes affecting their social identity also affect the way in which they are given the opportunity to advance. Certain stereotypes like all Latinos are immigrants or that none of them speak English or have migrated to America to get handouts from the government “affect the discriminatory way in which public policies are designed and implemented to decrease their access to public resources”. Society systematically denies Latinos the opportunity to advance, resigning them to a life in the barrio, and in the case of many young people, a life of crime in a gang [8: Biddel, 2014, p.37.] [9: Zambrana, 2011, p.6].

It is not only other members of society that interpellate this community; the media plays a fundamental role in creating a stereotypical identity of Latinos. The media only presents negative aspects such as gang membership and poor racialized immigration status rather than representing the achievements of Latinos such as entrepreneurship and college graduations. Young people already believe that there is little opportunity for advancement due to their social location and their treatment within society as criminals and good for nothings and the media only reinforces these stereotypes. In the minds of some Latinos, if they are already being stereotyped as gang members, why shouldn’t they just become one?

All of these stereotypes that impact young people’s construction of identity also heavily impact on their sense of belonging to American society as both individuals and as members of the Latino community. Regardless of race or ethnicity, young people want to fit in with their immediate surroundings and community. They try hard to make friends and they adapt easily to the people they are around – shaping elements of their identity around the people they spend the most time with. This, of course, applies to Latinos, yet this need to belong is heightened as they are already aware of their differences from the rest of society. This incessant need to belong is usually associated with girls and women, however, these same feelings exist in both boys and men. The reasoning behind this need to belong was demonstrated by Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs theory which poses that everyone has a hierarchy of basic needs that, in order to reach positive results, must be met. One of these basic needs is “belonging and love”, which involves a need to feel a sense of belonging and acceptance among social groups. He also claims that fulfilling these basic needs is the biggest motivation and if these are not met, a person tries to fulfill them in any way possible, no matter the consequences. Using this theory, it can be said that some young Latinos have no other choice but to join a gang if they are unable to find a friendship group to which they can belong and which offers them the same level of support as they believe the gang would. The gang is seen as a place for them to develop close friendships with like-minded people. Niobe Way (2004) expands on this by stating that “teenage boys yearn for close and loyal friends and struggle to find and maintain these close ties. Latino boys consider a close friend someone who will protect them, show concern, and help them from getting into trouble”. This ties in with another main attraction of the gang, which is joining for protection, but it also shows the attractive sense of belonging that a gang can give to a young Latino – a friendship group who will accept, respect, include and support them [10: Maslow, 1943.].

Having a group to belong to and identify with is of vital importance for Latinos, particularly those born outside of the U.S, as it gives them a support network and helps them to feel less isolated and alienated. Even something as simple as wearing a gang’s colors or using a gang’s signs enables young people to feel as though they have someone to protect and support them. They are now a part of something bigger than just their small circle. They now belong to a group who are acknowledged by a whole community and by society, be it feared or respected, and feel as though they always have someone to have their back and watch out for them. As Vigil explains, ‘”the family-like functions and new cultural customs” of gangs foster “friendship and mutual trust” and ”… learning to back each other up during times of trouble cement the bonds between youths in a gang, a type of fictive kinship network”. Being in a gang enables these young Latinos to create a society, no matter how small, in which they are accepted, respected, included and supported [11: Wolseth, 2009, p.66].

As mentioned previously, the concept of interpellation explains how society’s stereotypes of Latinos impact their identity construction but it also extends to their sense of acceptance by and belonging to society. Latinos in today’s America are far from being accepted for who they are. Society frequently demonstrates to them that they do not belong – even to those who are U.S. citizens and grew up in the same country, educated by the same system and lead similar lifestyles. Latinos are frequently seen as foreigners or illegals and even those who are legal residents of the United States do not have the same rights as citizens and this, in turn, has deep consequences for their “economic, social, and political opportunities”. Unfortunately, in the United States, “citizenship and residential status define membership and belonging” to society. Since all Latinos are stereotyped as illegal immigrants, they are not seen as members of society and have to constantly validate their right as residents or citizens to be in the country, further distancing them from the feeling of belonging [12: Gracia & De Greiff, 2000, p.11], [13: Gutiérrez Nájera, 2010, p.76].

This alienation from society is furthered by the existence of a large culture of institutional racism in America. Institutional racism is the “systematic denial of a group of people to the power, privilege, and prestige that is available within an existing society. The effects of institutional racism include issues of access to power (social and economic), resources, as well as affiliation”. I have previously looked at how this type of treatment affects Latinos’ identity construction and perception of belonging. However, institutional racism is not something that is in effect simply in the streets and neighborhoods of cities. It extends to the highest level in the United States – the government. It is common knowledge that the current President has many problems with the influx of Latinos arriving in the U.S. He has explicitly expressed his desire to build a wall on the Mexican border to combat illegal immigration and has taken drastic measures to disrupt the movement of these migrants such as the family separation policy, treating them as less than human [14: Spergel, 1995, p.161].

Trump is not only trying to build walls around his country; he is building walls within his nation: those between Latinos and other members of society. The most powerful person in the most powerful land is systematically telling society not to accept these people and that they do not belong. He openly stated in his State of the Union address that: “for decades, open borders have allowed drugs and gangs to pour into our most vulnerable communities. They have allowed millions of low-wage workers to compete for jobs and wages against the poorest Americans. Most tragically, they have caused the loss of innocent lives”. He also openly criticized and called out members of the brutal Latino Mala Salvatrucha gang, more commonly known as MS-13. Four young members of this gang in Brentwood, New York, were charged with the murder of two of their classmates, Kayla Cuevas and Nisa Mickens, in 2016 and in his address, Trump stated that “many of these gang members took advantage of glaring loopholes in our laws to enter the country as unaccompanied alien minors – and wound up in Kayla and Nisa’s high school”. By saying this, he generalizes all immigrants as gang members, stating that they are all dangerous, problematic and we should stop allowing them into the country. Society is simply following the example set for them by their President [15: Trump, 2018].

This problem is made worse by the fact that there is little to no-one in these high positions of power who are able to show young Latinos that this is not their reality – or that their reality can change. The young people who live in barrios do not have role models in their neighborhood, neither do they have role models in the rest of society. Latinos’ denial to power is evident in the make-up of the current government. Out of 50 Governors, only 2 are Latino. Out of 100 Senators, only 4 are Latino and finally out of 435 members of the House of Representatives, only 40 are Latino. Young Latinos are systematically being told time and again that, because of their background and ethnicity, they are not good enough to belong to the U.S. and that there is no room for them to grow. They have little-to-no role models to base themselves off and few people in high positions of power to stick up for them and tell them that they are valued members of society who deserve every right as residents and citizens. Is it any wonder that many resign themselves to their fate and turn to a life of crime in which they can gain power, respect, a shared identity and a sense of belonging to something bigger than just themselves?

In conclusion, it is clear to see how issues of identity and belonging encourage or push young Latinos towards joining a gang. Problems arising in childhood through their living situations, schooling and a clash of cultures cause young Latinos to identify with others around them, many of whom are already members of a gang or alienated from society in such a way that they are unable to show young people the opportunities that could be available to them. The stereotypes forced upon young Latinos cause them to feel more alienated and to see themselves the way that society sees them – as criminals and good for nothings. Joining a gang allows them to live up to the identity placed on them by society. This isolation causes them to seek out social groups to which they are allowed to belong. Once again, the gang provides a perfect opportunity for young Latinos to feel a part of something since society won’t allow them to integrate and belong. In the gang, young Latinos can build what they perceive to be solid friendships with like-minded people who will not judge them at every turn. In the gang, young Latinos can gain power, respect and they can become someone – something that society does not allow them to do. Finally, systematic alienation from the highest level pushes young Latinos further towards a life of crime.

Whilst identity and belonging are only two of the aspects making gang life attractive for young people, many of the other aspects, such as family trouble or the need for protection, strongly link in with an individual’s sense of identity and belonging. In my opinion, young Latinos will continue to join gangs until America accepts that they are a part of society and not just permanent foreigners. Young Latinos will continue to identify with gangs as, for many, it is all they know. More needs to be done to break the cycle and show that they are equal in all parts of society, be it education, politics or just simply as citizens or I fear that the gang epidemic will grow to uncontrollable levels.

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13. Trump, D. (2018). President Donald Trump’s State of the Union Address 2018. [Online]. 30 January 2018, United States Capitol, Washington. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exsOim0Lyl4 [Accessed 12. Jan. 2019]. Full transcript available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trumps-state-union-address/ [Accessed 12. Jan. 2019].
14. U.S. Department of Justice. (2015). About violent gangs. [Online]. Available at: https://www.justice.gov/criminal-ocgs/about-violent-gangs [Accessed 11. Jan. 2019].
15. Way, Niobe, ‘Intimacy, Desire, and Distrust in the Friendships of Adolescent Boys’, in Adolescent Boys: Exploring Diverse Cultures of Boyhood, edited by Niobe Way and Judy Y. Chu (New York: New York University Press, 2004), pp.167-196. Available at: https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt155jkhc?turn_away=true [Accessed 12. Jan. 2019].
16. Wolseth, Jon, ‘Good Times and Bad Blood: Violence, Solidarity, and Social Organization on Dominican Streets’, in Youth Violence in Latin America: Gangs and Juvenile Justice in Perspective, edited by Gareth A. Jones and Dennis Rodgers. (New York and Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009), pp. 63-82.
17. Zambrana, R. E., Latinos in American Society – Families and Communities in Transition. (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 2011).

Your Life in ‘The Outsiders’: Critical Review Essay

Violent, wacky, and powerful! Those are the three words that would describe the movie, The Outsiders. This movie is based on the book The Outsiders, which was written by S.E Hinton. In 1983, Francis Ford Coppola Film Productions brought this spectacular story to life by bringing together a talented cast and crew. This book talks about the lives of curiously, unconvincing teens in the circa 1960s and their lifestyle with engaging stories. The Outsiders talks about the life of gangs called the Socs and the Greasers. From the plot twists to their crazy stories, the book was great. However, the movie could have been better with the acting to the production. This movie is about a teen gang in rural Oklahoma. The two gangs are the Greasers which are the unprivileged and the Socs which are the rich, needy people. The two sides use anything to pester each other so that whenever they meet there is friction. When two greasers Ponyboy Curtis (C. Thomas Howell) and Johnny Cade (Ralph Macchio) get into some ambushes which end in the death of a Soc, the two boys are forced to get out of town and find a hideout before the news spreads. Ponyboy and Johnny, along with fearful Dallas (Matt Dillon) and other greasers must handle their violent lives very carefully. While some achieve redemption, others meet tragic ends. If you haven’t seen the movie, I’d like to give a warning in regard to the acting and production as it was not done very well.

The film was made in the 80s however, its production could have been executed a lot better. Although the main actors are very popular such as C. Thomas Howell (who played Ponyboy) and Ralph Macchio (who played Johnny), actions that they portrayed in this movie are known to be horrendous. None of the emotions in this movie seemed believable enough to imagine it being realistic. Their happiness was forced, their glumness was played and they did not execute their emotions that should’ve been there for the scene. For instance, when Bob (a south-side Soc) dies, the sadness that was meant to be portrayed didn’t seem sorrowful at all. The scene was closer to being funnier than sad. The way they tried to make C. Thomas Howell seem depressed was horrific. When Patrick Swayze (who played Darry Curtis) hit Thomas Howell, the scene seemed rushed. In this movie, there is a limited range of expressions and actions. Even though this movie is known for its star-stunned cast with Tom Cruise and Dirty Dancer Patrick Swayze leading the way, their acting made the film fall apart.

Don’t even get me started on the production. You might think that the acting is bad and that at least they could have made the product better, but no! The production was even worse. The production started with horrible lighting to loud music, they had executed this in a very unprofessional manner. For instance, at the beginning of the film, Dally, Johnny, and Ponyboy were walking to the movies when Dally and Ponyboy started talking. Loud music began to play in the scene and it was so loud, you weren’t able to hear or see them since the scene was very dark. This happened in the course of the movie where they would be talking and you wouldn’t be able to hear the conversation over the upbeat and loud music used in the film. During the rumble, the production was so bad, you couldn’t tell if the gangs were fighting because the lighting was dimmed and for some reason, it started to rain out of nowhere which made the scene look fake. The whole point of turning a book into a movie is to make the bewildering story seem real. If they were to produce a better product, the movie would have been better and more interesting to watch, however, the production crew wasn’t able to triumph in this. The overall plot in the movie and the book was amazing. Their idea was to execute the stunning style found in the book, but the movie just wasn’t able to include the tension and poignancy from the book. In the book and the film, they portrayed the difference between the two gangs, the Greasers and the Socs, and how these two gangs live in two completely different worlds and how they never meshed well together. This came across perfectly in the book but not in the movie. You couldn’t even tell which gang was which until halfway through this 80s film. They had a great plot that was expressed tremendously in the book with every chapter ending in suspense that would make you want to keep on flipping the pages. Sadly in the movie, they missed key points which were included in the movie, but in such a rush that you weren’t able to understand what was important. In the movie, their scenes were sketchy, the storyline didn’t flow right and the acting was terrible. Francis Ford Coppola executed this movie terribly when it could have been way better.

Overall, I say that you shouldn’t waste your time and money on this horrific movie. This film deserves a remake by learning from the mistakes that the director has made and giving more comparisons to the book. “I’m sorry what was that” This was the phrase Soda Pop used when they were eating after he picked them from the church, and this line relates to how I feel about this book because I do regret watching this movie so “what was that”. Altogether, I would rate this movie 5/10 because of the acting to the production. I would not recommend that you watch this movie. It would be a misuse of 90 minutes of your life.

Identity and Youth Gang Culture: Essay

In this essay, I will be exploring how urban youth cultures in today’s society provide a sense of identity and belonging to many of its members. I will be sincerely analyzing how gang culture provides that sense of belonging, and there are both positive and negative outcomes of feeling like you have an identity from being a part of gang culture. The definition of a gang in some people’s eyes means a group of organized criminals that engage in criminal activity regularly. However, for some people, they may just be seen as a group of friends hanging out for a bit of fun. Some children and youths are motivated to join a gang for a sense of belonging or to give themselves a definition of who they are. Others are motivated by peer pressure, a need to protect themselves and their family, or to make money. In younger generations, members of a ‘youth gangs’ form a gang name, identifiable leadership, a geographical territory, regular meetings, recognizable symbols, and a main characteristic that is illegal activities. If we look away from a youth’s viewpoint and look at classic gangs, then sociological research will tell us that gangs find their roots in the work of the Chicago School in early 20th century America. The earliest academic definition of a gang was by Puffer, who in 1912 placed it as “one of three primary groups… the family, the neighborhood, and the playgroup” (Hobbs, 1997: 803). I will be deeply analyzing why all these different types of gangs give the urban youth culture a sense of belonging.

If we first look at the main reason why gangs can affect an individual personally and emotionally, it would be family. A lot of people that are involved in gangs are statistically shown to have family issues at home because they feel like they don’t belong, as their home is broken due to absence in the family. A study by Lingren (1996) shows that “50 to 85 percent of gang members come either from a single-parent home or one in which no parent resides. If the parent is not available to provide structure, supervision, support, and caring during this crucial time of adolescent development, teens may turn to gang participation to fulfill their needs”. Because children at such a young age have very little understanding, they will turn to the first person that they feel is showing them nothing but a sense of belonging. Also, because they are receiving the reassurance that they need, they feel like “the gang is organized for protection and a feeling of having a family” (Yablonsky, 1997). In other words, members of the gang are like a surrogate family, coming together and looking after one another. They give structure to a gang member’s life, this would be from regular meetings, phone calls, and arrangements that would keep a person occupied from day to day. This then forms one’s identity, as the activities they consume in a day will shape what kind of activity they consume in the future.

However, on the other hand, feeling like you have a secure surrogate family can lead to major downfalls in the future. This is because being in a gang more or less means every man for themselves. People in gangs live off survival mode; they live life on the edge. “They earn money through crime, particularly drugs, and are bound together by an imposed loyalty to an authoritarian gang leader. They have blighted life on their estates with gang-on-gang murders and unprovoked attacks on innocent bystanders” (Hallsworth, 2011). Gang-on-gang murders are one of the main reasons why an individual can feel like they have been isolated, and confused about where they stand in life. They will feel alone as they previously had full trust in members of their gang to have their back no matter what because that’s what families do, right? However, gangs can lead to major trust issues and can affect a person’s identity as seeing their ‘surrogate family’ turn to violence, will brainwash them into thinking that this is the only way to go. This is how violence can be passed on because gang leaders are looked up to as role models, so therefore they can imprint their personality and traits onto others.

A reason why youths can turn to gangs is for social security. In today’s society, many bad things happen that can make an individual feel unsafe such as bullying, family members that are in gangs, rough areas you live in, or just in general. Some children and adolescents that feel like their voice cant be heard, or want to feel like they can be identified as powerful, untouchable, and confident will turn to gangs as it will give them a feeling of high status. Anytime they are seen or even heard on the streets, there will be this natural scarce stigma against the person as they are in an untouchable gang. However, a theorist who believes that gang members can be a way to make the world a less fearful place is Walsh (2011). As he said, “If the elders in the gangs have been supported and steered into responsible adulthood and are able in turn to guide and contain the fiery energy of future, younger gang members, society will be a far richer, more connected and ultimately less fearful place”. This suggests that gangs have the possibility of making the world a safer place depending on which type of role model youths are looking up to. If the younger children had role models that made them understand that there are responsibilities when becoming an adult and helped to understand the basics of life, then gangs wouldn’t have such a negative stigma around them. This suggests that gangs have the possibility of making the world a safer place depending on which type of role model youths are looking up to. After all, Hallsworth (2011) did state that “gang identification is not an exact science”. Therefore, there is no written report that everyone in gangs teaches each other how to be violent and disrupt the world. There can be goodness in gangs, which will then shape a younger gang member’s identity if the elders in gangs are supported correctly.

Moreover, if we look at how youths feel like they have a sense of security, there can also be a backlash to that. If we look at the reputation gangs have on society, “gang culture has its origin in the black community” (Brotherton, 2011). The reason why we know black ethnic minority people are associated with gangs the most is that surveys and research show that law enforcement agencies report a greater percentage of Hispanic/Latino and African-American black gang members compared with other races or ethnicities. The people believe that black culture is to blame because it gave birth to gang culture. This could majorly impact a big group of black people, as although they may not be involved with gangs or any type of criminal behavior, they could stereotypically be misunderstood as being affiliated with gang culture. One example is: “Given that gangs and non-gangs wear the same ubiquitous street uniform, it could be observed that distinguishing between gangs and non-gangs in the context of a riot is as difficult a task as it is distinguishing them on the street” (Hallsworth, 2011). This could severely impact a youth’s identity because they will be judged by the way they look, which could affect opportunities in life. Things such as job opportunities and school placements will be difficult, and appearance may not be a safeguard anymore. They will be seen as a danger to society, and this can affect a person’s thoughts of belonging to the world. A real-life example that can vouch for this stereotype is the case of Steven Lawrence (1993). 18-year-old Stephen Lawrence was set upon by a pack of white racist youths as he waited at a bus stop in south-east London. The reason for his death was purely because he was black. He was an innocent boy whose identity was taken from him because of the color of his skin. This is the reason why gang culture cannot be seen as a type of shield. It causes people to question their belonging in the world.

Another reason why gang culture can make youth members feel like they belong and take a piece of identity from gangs is because of ‘clout’. In the urban dictionary, the definition of clout is to be famous and to have an influence on people. This may be quite controversial to gangs as they do the opposite and try to stay hidden and not have a following. Being known for being in a gang will give a person confidence, as they will feel as if the community loves them because they have no choice. But if we look at gang leaders specifically, the leaders of the gang have the feeling of feeling superior and loved by their community. Gang members always have someone that leads the group whether that’s positively or negatively, “they provide a supportive social structure based on clearly defined roles and mutual obligations rooted within the community itself” (Whyte, 1943). This can help a person or persons by feeling like they belong to a community because the members will feel like they have a structure in their life and that they have a caring figure looking over their shoulders. And the leader or leaders will feel like they have people looking up to them, and that they are loved by their group. This can affect one’s identity as their ego will be bigger and their overall confidence will skive through the roof.

Nonetheless, if we look at how gangs have this feeling of being superior and untouchable from people, there can also be repercussions to that as being in a gang means having rivalries and enemies. This can affect a person’s belonging in the world as they may feel like they have to lay low at all times and hide from potential enemies. As theorist Brotherton (2011) says, “They have blighted life on their estate with gang-on-gang murders”, which would mean that gang members are constantly in a running rivalry. This can affect a person’s belonging as depending on how much the enemies hate the opposing gang depends on how well they have to hide. Things such as changing their appearance and making no contact with anyone but their fellow gang members. This can also affect a person’s identity because they will feel like they have to remove themselves from society or they will physically be removed. It is a matter of life or death, and it is something that they will always live with. It can affect a person’s mental well-being and lead them to act a certain way.

Belonging in the world is important as everyone has feelings and everyone needs a shoulder to lean on in certain situations. “One of the main reasons people join gangs is because Gang members often come from homes where they feel alienated or neglected. They may turn to gangs when their needs for love are not being met at home” (Lees et al., 1994). This is why when you look at a gang group, you will see that they all have each other’s back. They are united because they all come from similar circumstances. It’s nice to see that everyone is brought together as one. Feeling equal can mentally help a person’s identity, as they won’t feel disconnected from the world and they will feel like they are all the same. That’s why if they were to do any activities good or bad, it wouldn’t affect them as much because everyone around them is doing the same thing. There is a sense of unity that goes around because no one is treated differently and everyone is doing the same thing, they are all doing the same role.

Lastly, one of the main problems of gang members feeling like they are all equal is the amount of peer pressure that goes around. Because everyone in the gang is required to do whatever everyone else does, negative activities such as robberies, burglaries, murders, and being involved with the police become a norm. It can affect a person’s belonging in the world as they will have a negative stigma against them and all the bad things that take place can affect future life changes. Everything will be stripped away from their life as they follow peer pressure from members of the gang. Although it makes them feel equal and fulfills a part of their identity, it can damage a person’s reputation permanently. Being judged by appearance is one thing, but Hallsworth (2011) said that “a group of 12-year-olds hanging around is not the same as the territorial group that is armed and systematically violent”. This suggests that whatever peer pressure a gang member is trapped into doing can affect a person’s identity massively and there is no going back.

To conclude, after exploring how urban youth culture in today’s society provides a sense of identity and belonging to many of its members, I understood how gang culture provides that sense of belonging and that there are both positive and negative outcomes of feeling like you have an identity from being a part of gang culture. It was fair to say that the negatives points about being a part of a gang can out way the good reasons gangs can bring a sense of identity and belonging. However, it is how a person individually responds and reacts to gangs and how they let it affect their lives.

‘West Side Story’ Theme Essay

Introduction

‘West Side Story,’ a timeless musical masterpiece, has captivated audiences for decades with its compelling story and memorable music. Set against the backdrop of rival street gangs in 1950s New York City, the musical explores several themes that continue to resonate with audiences today. This essay will delve into the influential themes portrayed in ‘West Side Story’ and analyze their significance and impact on the audience.

I. Forbidden Love and Prejudice

One of the central themes in ‘West Side Story’ is the portrayal of forbidden love and the destructive power of prejudice. The romance between Tony, a member of the Jets, and Maria, the sister of the Sharks’ leader, challenges societal norms and exposes the deep-seated prejudices that exist between the two gangs. Through their relationship, the musical highlights the tragic consequences of hatred, ignorance, and intolerance, emphasizing the need for empathy, understanding, and acceptance.

II. Gang Violence and Its Devastating Consequences

Another significant theme in ‘West Side Story’ is gang violence and its far-reaching consequences. The fierce rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks escalates throughout the story, culminating in a heartbreaking climax. The musical confronts the audience with the harsh realities of gang warfare, illustrating the senseless loss of life, shattered dreams, and perpetual cycle of violence that plagues communities. ‘West Side Story’ serves as a cautionary tale, urging society to address the root causes of violence and find peaceful resolutions to conflicts.

III. Cultural Clashes and Identity

‘West Side Story’ explores the theme of cultural clashes and the struggle for identity in a multicultural society. The Sharks and the Jets represent different immigrant communities, with the Sharks being of Puerto Rican descent and the Jets representing working-class white Americans. The musical delves into the challenges faced by marginalized communities as they strive to preserve their cultural heritage and navigate an unfamiliar environment. By shedding light on the complexities of cultural assimilation, ‘West Side Story’ encourages dialogue and understanding between diverse groups.

IV. Dreams and Desires

The pursuit of dreams and desires is another prominent theme in ‘West Side Story.’ Characters like Tony, Maria, and Anita have aspirations beyond the confines of their troubled neighborhood. They yearn for a better future and search for love, acceptance, and a sense of belonging. The musical underscores the power of dreams to transcend social barriers and offers a glimmer of hope amidst the chaos and tragedy. By highlighting the characters’ aspirations, ‘West Side Story’ reminds the audience of the universal human desire for a brighter tomorrow.

V. Socioeconomic Inequality

The theme of socioeconomic inequality is subtly woven into the narrative of ‘West Side Story.’ The Jets and the Sharks come from different socioeconomic backgrounds, and their clashes reflect the wider disparities in society. The musical subtly critiques the structural barriers that limit opportunities and perpetuate inequality. By shedding light on these issues, ‘West Side Story’ encourages introspection and calls for a more equitable and inclusive society.

Conclusion

‘West Side Story’ remains a powerful and influential musical due to its exploration of enduring themes. The themes of forbidden love and prejudice, gang violence and its consequences, cultural clashes and identity, dreams and desires, and socioeconomic inequality resonate with audiences of all generations. Through its emotionally charged narrative and memorable songs, ‘West Side Story’ invites reflection, challenges societal norms, and advocates for compassion, understanding, and the pursuit of a more harmonious world.

As we continue to grapple with the complexities of our own society, the themes presented in ‘West Side Story’ serve as a reminder of the importance of embracing diversity, combating prejudice, and striving for social justice. The influence of ‘West Side Story’ extends far beyond its initial release, continuing to inspire audiences to confront the challenges of their time and work towards a more inclusive and compassionate society.