NCJ Number
209364
Date Published
2004
Length
19 pages
Annotation
This study shows how young women of college age cope with social and economic barriers in a poor community that has been socially and economically isolated from the mainstream of American life for more than 80 years.
Abstract
This community is on the north side of Champaign, IL, called the "north end." In the north end, men's and women's gangs are active, illegal drugs are sold, and residents are very poor. Full-time jobs are 60 to 90 minutes away by community bus; the expense to commute costs about 1 hour of net pay per day. The research on which this paper was based was a multiyear field study designed to analyze the multiple functions of women's gangs in north end. Data were obtained from 74 gang-affiliated women. The purpose of the interviews with and observations of the daily lives of these women was to profile the complexities of gang members' prosocial and antisocial functions within the broad context of community life. The "gang girls" reported a stable history of poverty and community isolation. They came from families that experienced the consequences of earlier racial bias that led to the development of a community that has continued to be racially segregated and isolated from the main city. Even if full-time jobs were available in or near north end, the sampled gang women were not prepared for more than entry-level, low-paying jobs. When they needed a lot of money quickly, they sold cocaine. Otherwise, they sold small quantities of marijuana daily. Solutions to their employment problems required money, planning, and a variety of assistance that north end gang mothers could not provide for themselves. They have adjusted to poverty's conditions much as anyone adjusts to adverse life circumstances. Any change must address residents' perceived problems and involve their input and cooperation. 7 tables and 4 references