A Sociological Aspect of Gang Activity - 1743 Words

Gangs can be classified as a group of adolescents who are perceived to be a threat to society, are mostly recognized by their name and territorial power, and have been involved in numerous acts that violate criminal law procedures in North America. (Esbensen, Winfree, He and Taylor, 2001). The first theme that was present in the pieces of literature collected was the lack of opportunities. As previously stated before, becoming involved in a gang starts at a young age. An article titled â€Å"Youth Gangs and Definitional Issues: ‘When is a Gang a Gang, and Why Does It Matter?’† explicates what exactly constitutes a gang, starting with young adolescents. Using a survey conducted in the United States, Finn-Aage Esbensen, L. Thomas Winfree, Jr., Ni†¦show more content†¦Covey (2003) has addressed this position in stating that there are families living in impoverished conditions, working tirelessly to meet their standard needs. Based on his standpoint, Covey (2 003) believes that finding a way to survive financially is the most important. However, a parent is one of the first people to teach their children right from wrong based on society’s values. In the low-income communities, there is a lack of opportunities to teach children the proper way to express themselves, mainly because some parents are more concerned with making sure the financial needs are met. All authors have exceptionally provided sociological answers to the research question, but they tended to overemphasize one idea over another. Although Esbensen, Winfree, He, Taylor and Covey share comparable views of what they believe constitutes a gang, one piece of literature was more prone to speaking about the relationship between race and class. For instance, based on a survey, gang members are more likely to be of an ethnic minority and live with only one parent in substandard living conditions (Esbensen, Winfree, He and Taylor, 2001). It is not correct to state that certain races and economic classes are predisposed to criminal behaviour, but this insight does raise the question of why exactly particular races and classes are always link to gang membership. Kathleen A. Fox and Jodi Lane will mention that they believe thereShow MoreRelatedtheories on crime comparison1138 Words   |  5 Pagescrimes exist. This paper will provide information on sociological theory including the relationship between personality and criminal behavior according to sociological theory. Also, this paper will provide a comparison on each key elements on sociological theory, biological theory, and psychological theory. In addition, the paper will allow each reader to understand the philosophical basis for each theory. 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