Premium
Gangs, identity, and cultural performance
Author(s) -
Lauger Timothy R.
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
sociology compass
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 31
ISSN - 1751-9020
DOI - 10.1111/soc4.12772
Subject(s) - identity (music) , social identity theory , collective identity , sociology , social psychology , social identity approach , criminology , criminal behavior , social group , cultural identity , psychology , political science , law , aesthetics , politics , philosophy , feeling
Abstract Although the notion of identity has received substantial attention from sociologists and psychologists, it has not been well developed in the gang literature. Identity accounts for a person's sense of self, which is based on meaningful social interactions and group participation, and becomes a source for publicly performing social roles. Gang membership is one such role that merits significant attention, and existing theories about identity and role performance can help explain variations in criminal behavior among members. This article applies multiple perspectives on social, personal, and collective identity to gangs and gang members. It offers principles to explain how gang identities fuel social performances that mimic, induce, or involve criminal behavior.