Who Joins Gangs and Why? I have chosen "Who Joins Gangs and Why"ÃÂ by Martin S. Jankowski as the article I will analyze from the Intersections reader. The purpose of this paper is to answer 3-4 questions out of the book that follow the article, and analyze them using sociological theories. This article covers different reasons why individuals join gangs, and the different type of recruiting methods used by gang members to try and draw others into joining them.
What kind of benefits do gangs provide for their members? What functions do gangs provide for the community? Gangs first of all provide a source of money, usually through some sort of illegal activity like drugs, guns, theft, etc. They also provide entertainment in a primary social institution like a clubhouse where recreation can occur. This is where most of the community's social events take place. Lastly gangs offer protection from other individuals or groups of people.
List of criminal gangs in Los Angeles, California
Image depicting member of MS13 gang. Work of the F...
Crip handsign.One thing gangs provide for the community is a place of recreation. A gang usually has a single hang out that becomes the central location for many community activities. Gang members also bring a lot of money into the community through illegal and even sometimes legal businesses. Here the deviant subculture theory of Richard Cloward and Lloyd Ohlin can be applied. This theory states that deviance results from the large amount of accessible illegitimate opportunity. Young men and women in these neighborhoods have a desire to join gangs since they are in their neighborhood. They have grown up around these gangs there whole life and now that they are old enough to join the gang, the gang can now provide them with some sort of support they need during hard times.
What are the three types of recruitment discussed by Jankowski? The first is...