NCJ Number
146820
Journal
Social Forces Volume: 42 Issue: 3 Dated: (March 1964) Pages: 328-335
Date Published
1964
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Based on two weeks spent by a participant-observer with several groups of middle class deviant youths in a Los Angeles suburb, this paper describes the prevailing characteristics of youth gangs.
Abstract
Altogether, about 80 youth between the ages of 15 and 18 were observed; the youth were located through lists of "hangouts" provided by local police, school authorities, and probation officers. The gang members observed here were rather uniform in dress and demeanor; their self-possession, poise, and elaborate grooming gave them an air of urbanity and sophistication. The content of conversation among these youth did not differ significantly from what one would expect any teenagers to discuss. Cars, however, permeated every aspect of these juveniles' social life and symbolized much of adolescent deviant and nondeviant sociability and sexuality. The deviant behavior of these groups varied greatly in its seriousness, ranging from curfew violations and beer drinking to theft and narcotics use. Even while engaging in deviant or illegal behaviors, these youths did not see themselves as jeopardizing any future plans they might have held. The organization of these groups conformed to previous definitions of a "near group" and paralleled the values of the adult world. These observations suggest that delinquency may be an extension of values held by most adults, but engaged in less openly and less often. 26 notes