Gangs & Crime: Gang Membership

Social Phenomenon Theory and the Ways It Relates to Gang Members

Criminal groups have been a part of human social life for centuries. At present, these subgroups pose a considerable threat to the development of societies due to the availability of technology that enables these individuals to spread their beliefs and behavioral patterns (Storrod & Densley, 2016).

Vulnerable populations are at a high risk of engaging in criminal activity due to this spread of ideas and gang culture (Tamatea, 2015). Gangs have been a matter of comprehensive research throughout decades, and numerous insights have been provided regarding many aspects of the life of gang members as well as these groups. Scholars also utilized diverse approaches, models, and theories to explore the subject. The behavior of gang members was often the core of the studies, and the reasons for anti-social conduct were under analysis (Knox, Etter, & Smith, 2018). One of the theoretical frameworks explaining the actions of gang members, as well as entire criminal groups, is the social phenomenon theory.

This theoretical paradigm focuses on social (external) factors affecting people’s conduct. It is emphasized that a social phenomenon is “constituted by the regular accompaniment of one organism’s behavior by at least one other organism’s behavior” (Wallace, 2017, p. 5). For example, if an individual is robbed in the street, he or she is likely to become more cautious in the future. The violent act of a person shapes the choices, beliefs, and lifestyles of another one. As mentioned above, the culture of gangs is often promulgated with the help of social networks and other media, which makes many young people vulnerable (Fraser, 2017).

In simple terms, certain actions of gang members entice the youth to adopt some patterns or join the subgroup. Young people are willing to change their conduct and their lives as they wish to be a part of a bigger community, to improve their status by becoming a part of the group that is respected or feared. The theory of social phenomenon is instrumental in explaining the background behind various criminal behaviors.

It has been found that mythmaking is one of the key elements of any gang functioning and lifecycle. According to Van Hellemont and Densley (2018), gang members create beliefs that encourage others to change their conduct and join these groups. This assumption is consistent with the theoretical paradigm in question since the behavior of a person (the creation of myths) has an influence on other people’s lifestyles. Young people find certain characteristics of gang membership appealing and change their lifes to accommodate to these gang norms.

Importantly, social phenomenon theory has been utilized to develop strategies aimed at reintegrating former members of gangs into the community. Berger, Abu-Raiya, Heineberg, and Zimbardo (2017) state that different kinds of behaviors of gang members make other participants tired of this lifestyle, which results in their attempts to leave the criminal group. Hence, drawing gang members’ attention to some aspects of their life and their peers’ demeanor encourages people to display a pro-social conduct (Deuchar, Søgaard, Kolind, Thylstrup, & Wells, 2015; Vigil, 2016). The use of the theoretical paradigm in question is manifold when it comes to people’s participation in gangs.

In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the research on gang membership can be enhanced by the use of social phenomenon theory. The framework provides the necessary tools to explain people’s choices and create strategies that can change certain individuals’ conduct. The focus on the correlation between different people’s or groups’ behaviors sheds light on the process of formation and destruction of gangs, as well as their influence through diverse channels, including social media.

Interviews in Research

The study of gang membership and lifecycles, as well as individuals’ behavioral patterns and choices, researchers employ various methods. Quantitative research methods enable scholars to identify trends while qualitative instruments are essential for attaining insights into the issue (Bachman, Schutt, & Plass, 2015). Moreover, when exploring people’s attitudes and behaviors, qualitative tools are preferable. Interviews can equip investigators with complete data that will help in explaining some types of conduct or beliefs (Padgett, 2016). These methods can be the most appropriate or sometimes the only method when dealing with gang members.

As mentioned above, interviews are seen as an insightful research tool. This strategy is also instrumental in focusing on the attitudes of knowledgeable people as well as -hard-to-reach populations (Pawelz, 2018). Clearly, involving gang members in a survey in the real-life setting is rather impossible, whereas interviews in such an environment is an attainable goal. The research can build rapport and encourage the interviewee to share their views openly and fully, which is critical for any research. Of course, the researcher should utilize proper methods to ensure the reliability and validity of the data obtained during interviews.

On balance, it is necessary to stress that interviews are the most appropriate research methods when exploring gang members’ attitudes and conduct. This tool enables researchers to receive detailed accounts of people who display certain behavioral patterns and reasons behind their choices. The analysis of this information is instrumental in identifying some topics to explore in more detail in further studies.

References

Bachman, R. D., Schutt, R. K., & Plass, P. S. (2015). Fundamentals of research in criminology and criminal justice: With selected readings. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Berger, R., Abu-Raiya, H., Heineberg, Y., & Zimbardo, P. (2017). The process of desistance among core ex-gang members. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 87(4), 487–502. Web.

Deuchar, R., Søgaard, T. F., Kolind, T., Thylstrup, B., & Wells, L. (2015). ‘When you’re boxing you don’t think so much’: Pugilism, transitional masculinities and criminal desistance among young Danish gang members. Journal of Youth Studies, 19(6), 725-742. Web.

Fraser, A (2017). Gangs & crime: Critical alternatives. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.

Knox, G. W., Etter, G., & Smith, C. F. (2018). Gangs and organized crime. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis.

Padgett, D. K. (2016). Qualitative methods in social work research (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications.

Pawelz, J. (2018). Researching gangs: How to reach hard-to-reach populations and negotiate tricky issues in the field. Forum: Qualitative Social Research, 19(1), 1-24. Web.

Storrod, M. L., & Densley, J. A. (2016). ‘Going viral’ and ‘Going country’: The expressive and instrumental activities of street gangs on social media. Journal of Youth Studies, 20(6), 677-696. Web.

Tamatea, A. (2015). The problem with ‘the problem with gangs’: Reflections on practice and offender desistance. The New Zealand Corrections Journal, 3(1). Web.

Van Hellemont, E., & Densley, J. A. (2018). Gang glocalization: How the global mediascape creates and shapes local gang realities. Crime, Media, Culture: An International Journal, 15(1), 169-189. Web.

Vigil, J. D. (2016). Multiple marginality: A comparative framework for understanding gangs. In M. C. Hay (Ed.), Methods that matter: Integrating mixed methods for more effective social science research (pp. 284-305). Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press.

Wallace, W. L. (2017). Sociological theory: An introduction. New Brunswick, NJ: AldineTransaction.