Author:
Yablonsky, Lewis.
Imprint:New York : New York University Press, c1997.
Descriptionxx, 237 p. ; 24 cm.
Note:The current gang problem -- Gangs in the 20th century -- Gang characteristics -- Black and chicano gangs : in and out of prison -- Why gangs kill : the sociopath factor -- Some effective interventions -- The therapeutic community approach to gangs -- Varied theoretical viewpoints -- The violent gang as a near-group -- Joining a positive gang : a plan for treating gangsters in a therapeutic community.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references (p. 223-227) and index.
Note:Yablonsky has been studying and writing about gangs for close to 50 years, and is perhaps best known for The Violent Gang (1962); Gangsters is best described as a capstone summary of what he has learned. First, he provides a brief history of gangs in the 20th century. He then focuses on the characteristics of the contemporary gang, with some attention to its sociopathic dimension. Part 3 is devoted to treatment approaches to the gang problem, with special emphasis on the therapeutic community approach. Finally, he reviews some of the principal theoretical perspectives on gangs, restates his well-known characterization of the gang as a near-group, and concludes with his prescription for reorienting gangs in a positive direction. Yablonsky writes in a folksy, exceptionally readable idiom, frequently introducing autobiographical tidbits and excerpts from his extensive files of working with gangs. His work is very much a reflection of a qualitative, ethnographic approach to sociological knowledge, as opposed to rigorous empirical social science. -- from Choice reviews
Note:Recommended in Best Books for Academic Libraries
