NCJ Number
92660
Journal
Social Problems Volume: 31 Issue: 2 Dated: (December 1983) Pages: 182-194
Date Published
1983
Length
13 pages
Annotation
Research into two Chicano gangs in East Los Angeles shows that gang members do not necessarily live in the territory which they defend as their turf.
Abstract
The paper examines the social and cultural factors which bind gang members together and looks at the way in which nonresidents join gangs. The widespread pattern of nonresident gang membership reflects the nature of impoverished Chicano settlements in Los Angeles. The findings suggest that the ecological premises of the old Chicago school of sociologists no longer apply to gangs in modern American cities. Graphs, footnotes, and 23 references are provided. (Author abstract modified)