PLAYING NUMBERS" : YOUTH TIES TO GANGS"

Abstract

This study uses an Exchange perspective to look at the ties between youth gang members and the Secret Society they are affiliated to. There are reciprocities of obligations and mutual dependencies. Actual interactions between youths and adult Secret Society members are limited, making the ties between them weak. The paper attempts to explain how weak ties are exploited to bind the youths to the relationship. Chapter One deals with some of the concepts relevant to the study. Chapter Two looks at the methods used and the problems encountered in studying this stigmatized group. Chapter Three briefly examines the hierarchical structure of the gang/Secret Society and the position of the youths within it. Chapter Four looks at the role of youth gang leaders and their assistants as intermediaries between ordinary youth members and the Secret Society. Chapter Five looks at the youths and the significance of their membership to them. Chapter Six sums up the findings and discusses some of the implications.