Gangs

Question 1

Vice Video on gangs

Answer 1

• questioning the definition of a gang
• dixon buildings in community. called breeding ground for Dixon City Bloods - violent gang.
• “in cage”, not allowed to play/live without being watched.
• residents say there are no gangs
• june 2013: dixon towers raided by police. investigation called “project traveller” police looking for Dixon bloods gang.
• guns, money, drugs seized after raid.
• resident says police is seeing the problem all wrong.
• dixon became dangerous after police raids: exposed gang? or police aggravated violence?
• dunno who the dixon bloods are, but they’re getting the hit for drugs + guns.
• police crew there all the time; profiling - somali name accused of being in gang; non-somali name not accessed even tho have multiple charges.
• rap music contributes to gang ideas. rapper says it’s just an image.
• police raid as a propoganda tool hi
• rappers “dont know” dixon bloods.
• charged with homicide, was 3 provinces away.
• liaison officers in dixon buildings: reduce fear, try to be part of the solution > problem

Question 2

what is a gang?

Answer 2

everyone has a different definition - no agreement.

Question 3

what are youth gangs?

Answer 3

• no universal definition
• considered “out of control”
• groups of kids 10-16yoa
• thought to be mostly male phenomenon.

Question 4

2 reasons why gangs are NOT a youth phenomenon?

Answer 4

1. post-industrial era: blocked opportunity for many who live in impoverished areas [ can’t age out of gang bc no where to go; youth/adolescence changed; = older. ]
2. ODs: older gang members, choosing not to age out.

Question 5

who do youth join gangs?

Answer 5

• many reasons, weigh pros + cons - this is best decision.
• • material incentive: money in drugs
• • recreation: fun
• • refuge + camouflage: diminish responsibility
• • physical protection: bonds protect
• • time to resist: resist society, gang does too.
• • commitment to the community: tradition, funneled into gang

Question 6

relation between gang + neighbourhood

Answer 6

• gang IDs with territory; defining element
• existence of gang is seen as embodiment of neighbourhood
• make money in their own neighbourhood - primary turf.
• mandates that perceived/actual threat need to be met with strong resistance + defence of territory

Question 7

what is vehement protection?

Answer 7

primary motivation for gang warfare

- protect others in your gang.

Question 8

who benefits from moral panic about gangs?

Answer 8

• media: sensationalizes, gains attention + readers
• politicians: absorb moral panic into legislative promise
• law enforcement: more money, jobs available to target gangs
• gangs themselves: free advertising; showing other gangs they’re strong + fighting.

Question 9

where is regent park?

Answer 9

east of Toronto downtown core

- low level apartment buildings for short term housing of white torontonians after war, revitilization changed that

Question 10

demographics of regent parkers?

Answer 10

1700 youth
68% of families below low-income cut off line
80% of residents id-ed as visible minorities

Question 11

quoted representations of regent park

Answer 11

ghettoized
poster child for poverty
homicide hotbed
mythical ruin
== stigmatized btw ppl and media + other neighbourhoods

Question 12

what happened with regent park revitilization?

Answer 12

• major revitilization project.
• attempt to de-concentrate poverty by social-mixing, sell off parts of neighbourhood to rich ppl to “teach” poorer ppl pro-social norms/behaviour
• moved gang members to rival neighbourhoods = violence extended.

Question 13

methodology of marta’s research?

Answer 13

• 56 semi-structured interviews
• 2 summers of fieldwork
  core sample:
• 20 males, 16-47 yoa, racialized (jamaican, somalian), gang involved/affiliated, drug dealers, rappers

Question 14

function of social media platforms?

Answer 14

narrowing digital divide = more disadvantaged populations have access to internet.
- avail to more ppl, expanded access

Question 15

use of platform for what?

Answer 15

for rap careers + increasing street cred

• ID with neighbourhood as master status.
• conspicuous consumption

Question 16

issues with SM?

Answer 16

makes life riskier - live action of where they are + what they’re doing.
issues with ID-ing with neighbourhood

Question 17

what is conspicuous consumption?

Answer 17

imagery of wealth + glory

- bottle service, grills, cars, shoes.

Question 18

violence + code of the street?

Answer 18

code tells you how to live + survive.

- says if someone is victimized, respond with violence.

Question 19

what is the ghetto fabulous aesthetic?

Answer 19

• academic term to describe conspicuous displays of expensive goods.
• gang themes are prevalent
• connects to street code: post things you’re willing to die for, there can be serious repercussions, but important to display a sense of street authority.

Question 20

risks of sm?

Answer 20

1. inadvertently communicate actionable intelligence to unwanted audience
   - - display connections to objects, activities, other ppl
2. prospect of victimization when flaunt expensive things.

Question 21

benefit of sm?

Answer 21

show the money you have, the connectedness with other gang members.

• enhance reputation
• affiliation: assess capacity + threat differently as individual vs as gang

Question 22

function of affiliation?

Answer 22

• display greater group of soldiers
• increase street cred
• manner of protection: discourage attacks against you: not easily intimidated, violence met with violence.

Question 23

riskiness of affiliation?

Answer 23

• broadcasting can be risky
• ongoing, serious, lethal gang beefs = pay for neighbourhood affiliation/reputation
• others may interpret innocent as dangerous, violent.
  BC NEIGHBOURHOOD IS MASTER STATUS

Question 24

dangers of specifying location?

Answer 24

social media allows distance others to precisely locate you in space + time.

• know where u are in real time.
• provocation: start more beef, waiting for ppl in other neighbourhood, calling them out on sm

Question 25

chicago middle class black neighbourhood called?

Answer 25

groveland

Question 26

describe the neighbourhood [sweet mothers + gangbangers]?

Answer 26

dense network among criminal + non-criminal residents

• • government involved, highly educated AND top gang leaders live in same neighbourhood, co-exist peacefully.
• looks like good, quiet neighbourhood.
• residentially stable: lived their whole life, generations lived there

Question 27

how does chicago neighbourhood challenge social disorganization theory?

Answer 27

HIGHLY STABLE, yet HIGH Rates of Crime persist.

• social disorganization says that failure to agree on common values = failure to maintain effective social controls = crime.

Question 28

argument for ~type~ of social disorganization in chicago neighbourhood?

Answer 28

although internally regulated (“dont do that here”), still lack essential ties to public (beyond-neighbourhood) forms of social control

Question 29

when may gangs form?

Answer 29

stable, low-income areas.

- lack of opportunity for uni etc.

Question 30

alternative opportunity structure of gangs

- how do they benefit community?

Answer 30

if dont have access to acceptable ways of living, choose crime.
- benefit those involved + non-criminal neighbours: provide social and economic resources, watch dog for the neighbourhood, may still advocate for pro-social movements.

Question 31

4 findings from pattillo: sweet mothers + gang bangers

Answer 31

1. black middle class neighbourhoods have higher poverty rates + are closer to poor areas [couldnt move far from “hood”]
2. high proportion of low income earners in middle class neighburhood = criminality is attractive.
3. home ownership + residential stability = facilitate formal + informal social control
4. ties to neighbours hinder efforts to rid neighbourhood of crime.

Question 32

pattillo - pro-social residents on neighbourhood crime?

Answer 32

exert social control.

• try to keep violence/ crime out of neighbourhood
• pro-social, safety activities done by neighbourhood “criminals”
• positive relation btw criminal and non-criminal residents.

Question 33

demographic + behaviour of gang members

Answer 33

• black mobsters; low-profile criminal activities
• no swearing, fighting, openly dealing, didn’t want neighbourhood flooded with bad behaviour
• wanted bedroom commuity = acted as agents of social control, altho violated themselves.
• middle class dealers conform to middle class norms.

Question 34

liquor store in neighbourhood?

Answer 34

• shut down because caused fights, break ins etc.

- got rid of liquor store = better environment.