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3. Gang Characteristic s DHE OVERT RATIONALE FO R gang violence and murde r commit ted b y the violen t gang s o f the pas t was based o n territoria l con flicts , a sens e o f bein g disrespecte d b y anothe r gang , an d revenge . Thes e earlier justification s fo r violenc e clearl y remai n i n plac e fo r gang s i n th e 1990s, however, th e combinatio n o f gangbanging, drive-bys , the dru g business , and more lethal guns account for the escalation of murderous violence by contemporary gangs . Another chang e i n contemporary gangs is found i n the different way s in which gangsters participate i n the multipurpose violen t gang from differen t statuse s in their gang's hierarchy. WANNABEES, G S , AN D OG S In Webster's dictionary, the word "member" is defined a s "a distinct part of a whole . . . any of the person s constitutin g a n organizatio n o r a group." The two key words in this definition tha t deserve analysis with reference t o gangs are "distinct" and "group." In my view, violent gangs are neither fully distinc t nor clearly defined groups . (This concept of the violent gang as an inchoat e near-group will be fully analyzed and defined i n chapter 9.) With the exception o f a number of so-called corporate or entrepreneuria l 57 58 / Gang Characteristics drug gangs , involvin g a smal l cohesiv e grou p o f individual s engage d i n th e commerce o f drugs, m y researc h int o contemporar y gang s reveal s tha t mos t gangs hav e a n incoheren t o r inchoate for m whe n compare d t o mor e sociall y acceptable groups . This i s due i n par t t o the emotionall y unstabl e conditio n of most o f the youth s an d youn g me n wh o participat e i n violent gangs . Gangs ar e ofte n i n a stat e o f transitio n o r flux. Thei r structur e ha s a degree o f coherenc e an d som e duratio n i n time ; however , the y ar e no t usually cohesive , clearl y define d groups . Becaus e o f thi s inchoat e natur e o f most gangs , membershi p i n a gan g i s a concep t tha t i s differen t fro m membership i n mor e norma l groups . Although ther e ar e som e membership defining factor s — such a s wearin g a certai n colo r (fo r instance , i n Lo s Angeles, blu e fo r Cri p gangs , re d fo r Bloo d gangs ) — and cor e member s ca n identify eac h other , mor e margina l member s i n mos t gang s ar e no t clearl y known t o eac h other , an d ther e i s an impermanen t qualit y abou t th e struc ture o f the violen t gang . Given thes e factors , i n m y analysi s o f gang organization , th e ter m "mem ber " ha s a differen t connotatio n tha n th e us e o f thi s ter m fo r normativ e social groups . The ter m "gangster " i s a clearer, mor e precis e wa y of definin g the fac t tha t th e individua l i s a participan t o n som e leve l i n gan g activity . Therefore, i n m y overal l analysis , th e ter m "gangster " wil l b e use d rathe r than "gan g member. " Gangsters i n a gang d o hav e differen t statuse s i n th e hierarcha l organiza tion , an d som e gangster s ar e mor e committe d an d ar e mor e involve d partici pants i n thei r gan g than others . Gangs , then an d now , have alway s had som e kind o f hierarchal form . I n th e 1950 s era , ther e wer e individual s wh o coul d...

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