Answer to Question 1
One reason for the increase in gang activity may be involvement in the sale of illegal drugs.
Early gangs relied on group loyalty to encourage membership, but modern gang members are lured by the quest for drug profits. In some areas, gangs have replaced organized crime families as the dominant suppliers of cocaine and crack.
The traditional weapons of gangschains, knives, and homemade gunshave been replaced by automatic weapons.
Gang formation is also the natural consequence of the economic and social dislocation that occurred when the economy shifted from a relatively high-paying manufacturing to a low-wage service economy.
Some U.S. cities that required a large population base for their manufacturing plants now face economic stress as these plants shut down. In this uneasy economic climate, gangs flourish, while the influence of successful adult role models and stable families declines.
The presence of gangs in areas unaccustomed to delinquent group activity can have a devastating effect on community life.
While this social dislocation was occurring, the media fell in love with gang images, which appeared in films and music videos. Gangsta rap became a national phenomenon.
Because there has been a diffusion of the gang culture through the popular media, in which gang boys are made to appear as successful heroes, urban youths may find the lure of gangs and law-violating peer groups irresistible.
Student views will vary.
Answer to Question 2
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