Author:
Hagedorn, John, 1947-
Edition Statement:2nd ed.
Imprint:Chicago : Lake View Press, 1997.
Descriptionxx, 299 p. : ill. ; 24 cm.
Bibliography Note:Includes bibliographical references and index.
Note:Gangs have been a part of American society for a long time--Boss Tweed, The Bowery B'Hoys, and Dead Rabbits are as much a part of American gang history as are the Sharks and the Jets. Neither these gangs nor their experiences, however, are relevant to today's gangs, even though social service and criminal justice professionals may think they are. Hagedorn, a sociologist, and Perry Macon, an ex-gang member, collaborated to investigate the origins and nature of gangs in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They conclude that both the general population and sociologists tend to treat the gang as a law enforcement problem, an attitude that all too often becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. Examining black gangs in Milwaukee, the authors discovered they are not outgrowths of Chicago gangs, and that they are not so well organized as the police seem to think. Basically, Hagedorn and Macon conclude that gangs result from those conditions described in William Julius Wilson's book, The Truly Disadvantaged (CH, Apr '88). The thesis of People and Folks is simple: we know less about today's gangs than we should. -- from Choice reviews
