Problem
"Instead I asked a pretty tame one: 'Why is everyone partying with you tonight? I thought you said it was a gang tournament.'
'See, around here each building has an organization,' he said.
'Organization,' I knew, was one of the words that gang members sometimes used to refer to the gang; other words were 'set' and 'folks,'" (Venkatesh, pp. 41, 2008).
The quotes above from Gang Leader for a Day reflect the conversation we had last week about the inherent relationship between a gang and its surroundings.
"In the old day, a teenager with an appetite for trouble might have gotten involved in vandalism or shoplifting; now he was more likely to be involved in the drug trade. And the neighbor who might have yelled at that misbehaving teenager in the old days was less likely to do so, since that kid might well be carrying a gun," (pp. 72).
This quote is chock full of key information and discussion points. Firstly, the quote reflects both the direct and indirect effects of gang activity within a neighborhood. Past that, the quote illustrates the cyclical dilemma faced by communities under the stronghold of gangs.
In a 500 word initial post, consider the quotes above and following:
• Identify and describe a specific situation in Gang Leader for a Day where the relationship between the Black Kings and the community is clear and apparent. Be specific here. Describe the nature of the situation, in addition to all of the key players and their roles. Who (specifically), on both sides, is benefiting and how?
• Describe both the direct and indirect effects of the relationship as well as the significance with respect to the long-term health of the community.