Due Monday 6/12, 7PM, Gangs in Philadelphia?
In recent years there has been much discussion about violence committed by young people in Philadelphia. When this violence takes place in groups there also arises a discussion about gangs in our city. While some say there are gangs, our Police Commissioner has stated otherwise. What we learn from this chapter is that making a decision about the existence of gangs depends on the definition you are using. After you have read chapter 8 and reviewed the various definitions of gangs on page 239, respond to the following assignment.
Using at least two of those definitions of gangs, decide if their are gangs in our city (according to the particular definintions).
Be specific about the content of each definition and be specific as to why you think there are or are not gangs in Philadelphia. Since the definitions vary, with one definition you may say yes, with another you may say no, but you need an explanation.
posted by ProfessorQuinnCCP @ 10:31 AM
8 Comments:
Yes, by using at least two of the definitions of gangs on page 239, there are gangs in the city of Philadelphia. There were two descriptions of gangs that I thought stood out the most out of the seven various types of gangs. The first type of gang that I believe exist in Philadelphia is the Malcolm Klien gangs. These are groups of adolescences are well known in various neighborhoods for their deviant behavior and criminal activity which causes them to get constantly arrested. In my childhood, I remember distinctly which groups of kids to keep away from, so I wouldn’t get into any trouble. My mother made sure she knew who my friends were and places I was going to associate with my friends. She told me to stay away from the trouble-makers to keep myself out of trouble, because I will be guilty for something I didn’t do just by associating with them.
The second type of gang that I believe exist in Philadelphia is the National Youth Gang Center gangs. These are self-formed associations of peers between the ages of twelve to twenty-four, which share common characteristics that are identified by symbols, clothing style, hand signs, etc. There are certain rap artist groups which are against another rap artist groups. Each group is represented by different hand signs, symbols, and the clothing they may wear. Hand signs and symbols can vary depending on what part of the city they are from. If the two different groups were to have a negative confrontation with each other, deviant or criminal behavior can escalate and lead into violence.
1) There are two definitions that I will use for this assignment.These two definitions define what a gang is and to answer the question consisting of whether there are gangs in Philadelphia. One of the definitions is from the textbook entitled Juvenile Delinquency: Theory, Practice, and Law, Ninth Edition. The definition comes from chapter eight titled "Peers and Delinquency: Juvenile gangs and Groups." pg 238, A gang is:A group of youths who collectively engage in delinquent behaviors. The second definition is from the Webster's Encyclopedia Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, First Edition pg 583 definition four states that a gang is a group of persons associated for some criminal or other antisocial purpose.
2) Compared to these definitions there are gangs that are in philadelphia because there are peers that collcetively engage in delinquent antisocial behaviors. This increases killings of young people, and in which the homicide rate. But becuase of the rival gangs that exist in Philadelphia which are the Latin Kings, Bloods, and the cripz they are not as active and do pertain to the definition but the murder rates that exist in Philadelphia are not because of the rival gangs shoot outs or gang related activity consisting of representing,and or graffiti writings. Based on the definitions given there are gangs in philadelphia but not under the title of an official nationwide noted gang. Some of the activity are related to prestige crimes, crowds, and cliques.
Yes, I think they have gang in Philadelphia. First, according to Desmond Cartwright " group of young people who meet face to face more or less regurlarly and whose existence and activities are considered on actual or potential threat to the prevaling social or potential threat to the prevaling social order" (239). In Philadelphia newspaper there is an article about young people hnadging out. They do small bad thing around the neighborhood, and the police don't have time to worry about it. Then they encourage to do more bad thing in the society. For example, one of my friends live in a neighborhood where they have a small gang. They make noise all the time in street when they drink. When the neighborhood calls the police and the neighborhood come out told him to go because they wake up the kids. A few days later when the man came from work with his suit and brief case, the gang member put a bucket of water on him.
Second, according to Walter Miller"peers who act in concert to achieve a specfic purpose or purposes, which generally include the conduct of illegal activity and control over a particular territory, facility, or type of enterprise"(239). Over the past two years I read an article about a gang member that killed other gang members over drug territory.
I always knew that gangs of some sort existed in Philadelphia, but after reading various defintions my assuption was confirmed. The Malcolm Klein and the Walter Miller are the two dominant defintions I read. According to Klein, a gang is a group of youngsters with a distinct aggregation by others in the neighborhood, are recognized by a group name, and have involvement in a numerous amount of delinquent acts. Miller's definition is not completely different, but it is observed from a different aspect. He says that a gang is a group of peers that come together with common interests who have the intention of achieving a goal.
Both groups happen to reside in the Germantown and Southwest Philly areas where I was raised. It is somewhat strange, but each gang is in both areas: the gang behind the Klein defintion are more in the Germantown area and the gang behind the Miller definition are in the Southwest Philly area. Control over territories because of drug related issues have been the more important thing around the southwest philly streets. Accoording to these delinquents, its about respect and honor. If these two qualities are violated, a life is lost and a street has a new ruler. In the Germantown area, it is similar but not as intense. It is more about people in the area having the knowledge about where certain gangs come from. If one street has an issue with another, then thats where the conflict occurs. The streets of Germantown are more concerned about recognition than anything else. Once that is earned, all respect is given.
Making a decision about the existence of gangs in Philadelphia depends largely on how one perceives the concept of a gang. I believe that there are gangs in Philadelphia. To justify my claim, the following two definitions could be used.
G. David Curry and Irving Spergel define gangs as "Groups containing law-violating juveniles and adults that are complexly organized, although sometimes diffuse, and sometimes cohesive with established membership and leadership rules. The gang also engages in a range of crime..." An assessment of this definition makes it clear that there are gangs in Philadelphia.Philadelphia ranks higher than most cities in America for gang-related violence, drug dealing and murder. We have seen on the television the glaring pictures of police investigations into violence arising from revenge killings by one gang against another. A recent scenario was the situation in South Philaadelphia where the police succeeded in apprehending a gang member wanted for perpetrating several serious crimes in the city of Philadelphia and elsewhere in the country.From their arrest and television coverage through police press conferences, we are able to understand that membership in gangs is arranged in a peeking order with well defined leadership roles.They also have focused goals like involving in violent crime like rape. The fact that this definition is compatible with the evidence we get everyday from Philadelphia,through the countless murders and gun possession cases, is sufficient proof that there are gangs in Philadelphia.The definition is consistent with emperical evidence.
Walter Miller defines gang as "A self-formed association of peers bound together by mutual interests, with identifiable leadership, well developed lines of authority, and other organizational features, who act in concert to achieve a specific purpose or purposes which generally include the conduct of illegal activity and control over a particular territory, facility or type of enterprise."
An analysis of this definition clearly proves that there are no gangs in Philadelphia.This definition is more compatible with the a gang like the one formally organized by Pablo Escobar in Columbia. Escobar had a big drug cartel and actually had a territory where law enforcement officers in Columbia would never attempt to go.Killing Escobar took an international effort with support and intelligence coming from the United States.The definition points to certain key words that do not fit the profile of the kinds of gangs we have in Philadelphia. Firstly,gangs in Philadelphia do not normally seek possession of a territory or domain of influence. Most gangs in Philadelphia are not well organized to the extent that they have a well developed line of authority like the case of Pablo Escobar in Columbia. The limits of this definition sets the bar too high for such gangs to exist in Philadelphia. Law enforcement is very effective in checking the spread of gang violence in the neighborhoods. Despite the rising statistics of murders, rape and gun possession, the Police department is doing a great job in keeping the criminals in check.
There are several different explanation about what is a gang. Many believe that most inner-city neighborhoods no longer have gangs.According to Walter Miller theory of gangs describe the inner-city youth in almost every neighborhood.Walter Miller explains his definition of a gang with leadership,achieving a specific purpose and conducting illegal activities.Most neighborhoods have groups where one person is the leader (the oldest or most respected).Every person in the group or gang have a purpose and brings something to better the group. I think Walter Miller theory of a gang is similiar to groups, cliques or squad(new word for gang) in most Philadelphia inner-city neighborhoods.
National Youth Center,however, explains gang activties to be violent acts towards other delinquents.This specific gang that the National Youth Gang Center is describing,are children between the ages 12 to 24, have three or more members,a gang name and identify one another by hand signs. This type of gang is still forming in California where the Bloods and Crips first started and where the name originally came from.
Maxson's theory on gangs has five different types. Each type is under a special code for what they appear to be. One type is the traditional gangs who has been around for quite some times, their gang is more organized, well planted in their surroundings and are seperated by neigborhoods instead of how old you are.The specialtly gang has special things that occured in their relm. Most of their dealings are crime related what territory and what it specializes in Even though they have different names there options and focuses are about the same.All gangs have serious issues and dealings with drugs. Drugs are a major factor of some delinquent behavior. Family that are dysfunctional tend to push children outside for guidance on the street. In turn they seek warmth from eslewhere. Gangs are subculture homemade territories.Their own little worlds instead of the real world. To go against the norm is what they intend to do. Organized crime is another type of gang. These gangs are more profound with drug sales and other criminal acts.In the traditional view, gang problems were for the disadvantaged poverty stricken and minority groups.In today's society its a part of every culture.Although it is stated that low paying jobs are lost to overseas competition,and that it is a factor why young people turn to gangs, that point needs to be examined more. Absent family present is a major factor and, authorative role models are another. The City of Philadelphia has a big gang problem its just called organized crime. With that being said organized crime has a low profile and causes major havoc on the city, such as corruption in city hall and deaths that are unexplained. Casinos and other gambling operations which some call legal are gang related.We have a big problem with gangs but its just called something esle.
Using the two definitions given by the National Youth Gang Center and G. David Curry/Irving Spergel, I'd have to say yes there are gangs in Philadelphia. According to the definitions I choose, gangs are made up of 3 or more people age 12-24, have known leaderships and rules, are into drug traffickeing, gang fights and are involved in elevated levels of delinquent behavior. I see these kinds of things going on in just about every neighborhood I ride through to and from school including my own hood. On any given day you can walk through to the end of my block and see these young people on the street selling & using drugs and drinking. No one says anything because their too afraid of what the consequences may be for them or their children. I know of four people who were killed or badly injured in the past 2 months one of which was shot in the head and the neck by 4 youngsters over a drug territorial (if that's a word) difference, another shot because he snitched, and another who happens to be a well known rapper Beanie Seigel was shot over some he say/she say argument.
Some of these gang members are children of parents who were also gang members in the old neighborhood I used to live in as a child. I didn't have many friends because I was never allowed to go to far away from home. My mom use to pay someone 20.00 a week to walk me to and from school. I was only allowed to be off the steps until 5pm, and had to be in the house by 6pm. She took these precautions because she knew about the rival gangs that lived on opposite sides of the track, the gang on the side we lived on being the worse, and she knew how dangerous they could be. Eventually we moved to the other side of the tracks and to this day to my suprise that same rival between the gangs on opposite sides of the tracks is still going on. These two definitions definitely describe the gangs in my part of Philadelphia.
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