Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
5-8-2024 11:00 AM
End Date
5-8-2024 1:00 PM
Subjects
Gangs -- Social conditions, Adaptability (Psychology), Religion, Sociology
Advisor
Aaron Roussell
Student Level
Masters
Abstract
This study is intended to examine the question: could gangs be a form of religion? The study will examine Steven Cureton's ethnographic case study of a street gang as found in his work titled Hoover Crips (2008), where I will then analyze the findings within the sociological framework of Emile Durkheim’s theory of religion as set forth in his classic book titled Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912).
This exploration faces challenges as the terms “gang” and “religion” are both hotly contested, and discussions on each have largely occurred independently, leaving a significant gap for this research to address. This study seeks to demonstrate that there are many interesting similarities between gangs and religion, and that in these similarities there may be answers that help explain otherwise questionable gang behavior and activity. This research provides an alternative perspective that challenges the contemporary (mis)understanding of urban street gangs.
Creative Commons License or Rights Statement
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Included in
Gangism: An 'Elementary Form of Religious Life'
This study is intended to examine the question: could gangs be a form of religion? The study will examine Steven Cureton's ethnographic case study of a street gang as found in his work titled Hoover Crips (2008), where I will then analyze the findings within the sociological framework of Emile Durkheim’s theory of religion as set forth in his classic book titled Elementary Forms of Religious Life (1912).
This exploration faces challenges as the terms “gang” and “religion” are both hotly contested, and discussions on each have largely occurred independently, leaving a significant gap for this research to address. This study seeks to demonstrate that there are many interesting similarities between gangs and religion, and that in these similarities there may be answers that help explain otherwise questionable gang behavior and activity. This research provides an alternative perspective that challenges the contemporary (mis)understanding of urban street gangs.