Discuss the anthropological view of why youth join gangs. Explain your view of this theory

Question

What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

• In the 1950s, Block and Niederhoffer suggested that gangs appeal to adolescents' longing for the tribal process that sustained their ancestors. They found that gang processes do seem similar to the puberty rites of some tribal cultures; gang rituals help the child bridge the gap between childhood and adulthood.
• For example, tattoos and other identifying marks are an integral part of gang culture. Gang initiation ceremonies are similar to the activities of young men in Pacific Island cultures.
• Many gangs put new members through a hazing to make sure they have "heart," a feature similar to tribal rites. In tribal societies, initiation into a cult is viewed as the death of childhood. By analogy, boys in lower-class urban areas yearn to join the gang and "really start to live". Membership in the gang "means the youth gives up his life as a child and assumes a new way of life.".
• Gang names are suggestive of "totemic ancestors" because they usually are symbolic (Cobras, Jaguars, and Kings, for example).
• The Gang Prevention and Intervention Survey found that fully two-thirds of gang members reported having members in their gang whose parents are also active members.
• These data indicate that ganging is passed on as a rite of passage from one generation to the next.
• Student view will vary.