Course Description
Street gangs are intimately linked to urban neighborhoods. On the one hand, gangs are the product of neighborhood conditions and processes, often arising in communities where other institutions breakdown. On the other hand, gangs are embedded into the social fabric of neighborhoods in multiple and complex ways some of which provide order and social organization for residents of these neighborhoods. This course examines the character, composition, and consequences of modern street gangs. Particular attention will be given to the institutionalization of gangs in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This course stresses a sociological understanding of gangs, although other social scientific theories will also be reviewed. Throughout the course we will focus on theoretical perspectives on gang formation, persistence, and behavior, as well as methodological issues in gang research. From a solid theoretical base, we will then discuss recent changes in modern street gangs and its implications on urban social structure. Policy responses ranging law enforcement to community-based strategies will also be discussed.
Street gangs are intimately linked to urban neighborhoods. On the one hand, gangs are the product of neighborhood conditions and processes, often arising in communities where other institutions breakdown. On the other hand, gangs are embedded into the social fabric of neighborhoods in multiple and complex ways some of which provide order and social organization for residents of these neighborhoods. This course examines the character, composition, and consequences of modern street gangs. Particular attention will be given to the institutionalization of gangs in disadvantaged neighborhoods. This course stresses a sociological understanding of gangs, although other social scientific theories will also be reviewed. Throughout the course we will focus on theoretical perspectives on gang formation, persistence, and behavior, as well as methodological issues in gang research. From a solid theoretical base, we will then discuss recent changes in modern street gangs and its implications on urban social structure. Policy responses ranging law enforcement to community-based strategies will also be discussed.
| Syllabus from Spring 2015 |