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Contemporary gangs : an organizational analysis / Deborah Lamm Weisel.
Van Pelt Library HV6439.U5 W455 2002
Available
- Format:
- Book
- Author/Creator:
- Weisel, Deborah Lamm.
- Series:
- Criminal justice (LFB Scholarly Publishing LLC)
- Criminal justice
- Language:
- English
- Subjects (All):
- Gangs--United States--Case studies.
- Gangs.
- Gangs--Illinois--Chicago--Case studies.
- Gangs--California--San Diego--Case studies.
- California--San Diego.
- Illinois--Chicago.
- United States.
- Genre:
- Case studies.
- Physical Description:
- vii, 226 pages ; 23 cm.
- Place of Publication:
- New York : LFB Scholarly Pub. LLC, 2002.
- Summary:
- Contemporary gangs are persistent despite efforts to control them. Theories of gangs explain the emergence of gangs but offer littleinsight into their persistence and growth. Weisel examined theorganizational characteristics of four criminal gangs. Although even large gangs appear disorganized, they are not ephemeral groups. Instead the gangs feature characteristics of organic-adaptive organizations rather than hierarchical or bureaucratic organizations. As such, these gangs feature blended goals, shared decision making, a structure based on subdivisions, and a generalist orientation. Such features promote efficiency in a highly volatile environment and contribute to increases in the size and number of contemporary gangs in America.
- Contents:
- Need for Research 1
- Research Design 4
- Chapter II Understanding Gangs: Contributions of Research and Theory
- Theoretical Explanations of Gangs 11
- Need for Research 17
- Organizational Dynamics: Growth and Change 20
- Organizational Life Cycles 21
- Population: Number and Size of Organizations 24
- Proliferation through Imitation and Schism 27
- Organizational Growth and Size 29
- Changing Size and Organizational Structure 30
- Organizational Decline 31
- But Are Gangs Organizations? 34
- Defining a Gang 34
- Kinds of Gangs 36
- Defining an Organization 39
- Kinds of Organizations 44
- Bureaucracy 44
- Organic Model of Organizations 47
- Do Gangs Meet Definitional Requirements? 51
- The Growth of Gangs 56
- Differing Notions of Gang Growth 58
- Complexities of Counting 58
- Defining and Counting Gangs 59
- Defining and Counting a Gang Member 62
- Evidence of the Growth of Gangs 63
- City Prevalence 64
- Rising Numbers of Gangs 65
- Increasing Size or Numbers of Gang Members 66
- How Gangs Grow in Number and Size 68
- Migration, Franchising and Emulation 69
- Longevity, Splintering and Transformation 71
- Retention, Recruitment and Merger 77
- Chapter III Research Design and Methodological Approach
- Qualitative or Quantitative Approaches 88
- Advantages of Qualitative Methods 91
- Approach to Research 95
- Instrumentation, Data and Analysis 99
- Strengths and Limitations of the Study 100
- Chapter IV An Organizational Analysis of Four Gangs
- Organizational Features 108
- Membership 109
- Size 110
- Longevity 113
- Evidence of Organizational Dynamics 121
- Growth: Consolidation and Splintering 121
- Growth: Recruitment, Retention and Migration 127
- Purposefulness and Goal Orientation 139
- Evidence of Groups 156
- Influence of the Environment 162
- Police 163
- Competition 168
- Economic conditions 172
- Predicting the Future of Gangs 189
- Directions for Further Research 193.
- Notes:
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 205-224) and index.
- Local Notes:
- Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the Lipman Criminology Library Fund.
- ISBN:
- 1931202303
- OCLC:
- 49350234
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