NCJ Number
137824
Journal
Criminal Review Justice Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: (Spring 1992) Pages: 118-125
Date Published
1992
Length
8 pages
Annotation
Three current books offer contemporary views and thoughts on American gangs: "Gangs in America," edited by C. Ronald Huff; "People and Folks: Gangs, Crime and the Underclass in a Rustbelt City," by John M. Hagedorn; and "Barrio Gangs: Street Life and Identity in Southern California," written by James Diego Vigil.
Abstract
Huff's book, which attempts to present the conclusions of some of the foremost gang researchers, offers a balance between academic and applied perspectives and provides a good sampling of some of the main ideas about youth gangs. Hagedorn's book, which has created considerable controversy, provides an actual field observation and a rare contemporary look at essentially black gangs in the midwest. Vigil's well-documented study describes the development of youth gangs in southern California and appropriately recognizes the significant historical roles of migration and of discrimination against Mexican-Americans. Incorporating the concept of "multiple marginality" into his approach, Vigil suggests that "the multiple marginality framework better allows for descriptions and interpretations of particular (and perhaps peculiar) facts of people, time, and place." 3 references