Multiple Marginality and Gangs: Through a Prism Darkly

Multiple Marginality and Gangs explores the youth gang problem by examining the place, status, social control, subcultural, and identity facets of urban street gangs. It shows how the power of place and the status of individuals and groups generate various situations and conditions that lead to gang formation. It also highlights the causal relationship between social marginalization factors and gang membership, and how street socialization leads to a street identity.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 140 pages
Publication date: 23 June 2021
Publisher: Lexington Books

Multiple Marginality and Gangs: A Prism Darkly explores the complex issue of youth gang problem in a multifaceted manner, encompassing the various dimensions of place, status, social control, subcultural, and identity. The power of place and the status of individuals and groups play pivotal roles in shaping the diverse situations and conditions that give rise to gangs. Multiple Marginality, in its simplest form, can be modeled as a trajectory: place/status to street socialization to street subculture to street identity. It is the interplay and reactions among these elements that we seek to understand. When we observe detrimental or absent family influence, we also observe weaker, underfunded schools that limit educators' reach. Simultaneously, there has been a significant militarization of law enforcement to address the youth street populations, with the police playing a dominant role. A causal relationship exists between social marginalization factors and gang membership. A psychological analysis also delves into how street socialization contributes to the development of a street identity. Within a place and status group, the cascading effects of marginalization have undoubtedly impacted and often hindered social control institutions.

Weight: 218g
Dimension: 218 x 154 x 11 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781793613332