NCJ Number
198646
Date Published
2000
Length
260 pages
Annotation
This publication is the revised edition of the original 1927 study of Chicago gangs by Frederic Thrasher.
Abstract
According to the technical preface of this 2000 edition of the “The Gang,” this publication is as close to the original document as possible. Nothing has been edited in or edited out. From 1923 through 1926, Frederic Thrasher undertook a study of gang activity in Chicago as the subject of his dissertation. The study included 1,313 gangs that each occupied a section of Chicago. A map of Chicago’s gangland is included, as are illustrations, diagrams, and tables. In the first part of the study, Thrasher describes the history of the gang. In this section the author defines what a gang is and identifies the various types of gangs he observed. The second section explores the various aspects of life as a gang member, including a discussion of how issues of nationality, race, and gender are dealt with in gangs. Thrasher next describes the organization of, and control within, gangs. He explores social patterns, structure, and leadership within gangs. In the last section of the study, Thrasher probes the criminal aspects of gang activities and explores ways of mitigating the harm caused by gangs. In conclusion, the original editor of this study wrote in 1927 that while this is certainly a study of the gang, it is more precisely a study of the gang within its habitat, namely Chicago.