Documentary Analysis: Street Gangs In Los Angeles
Sonia Bola
Professor Gutierrez
CRJ 112
17 October 2016
Gang Video Assignment 1 From the film Street Gangs in Los Angeles, it portrays the 1990's as a time when gang activity had expanded into the communities as a widespread issue for both law enforcement agencies and the citizens living within society. The documentary illustrates the daily lives of gang members, including what type of people join these crowds, their reasons for affiliation, different activities the organizations participate in, how the surrounding community is affected by the gang movement, even proactive initiatives law enforcement agencies and surrounding neighborhoods have taken to resolve the issue. Throughout the video, it shows some of the factors leading up to the …show more content…
For instance, at one point in the documentary, the narrator had stated "Coke, crack, and alcohol boast violence," and to produce more compelling evidence, he showed only one interview with a former gang member who asserted drugs aided in making gang banging more violent because it helped bring guns into the organization. Howell and Griffiths (2016) prove gangs, drugs, and violence being inexorably linked as being a myth by pointing out research that confirms only few street gangs control drug distribution operations; when it comes to drug marketing, gangs find the activity as a secondary interest in comparison to identity construction and protecting neighborhood territories. Another occurrence during the video had portrayed the myth of gangs forcing young people to join. In a scene where the narrator had interviewed one mother, she claimed to have found a gang trying to force her son into joining their group. Howell and Griffiths (2016) debunk this myth of most youths being pressured into joining gangs by revealing research, from a 1996 survey taken by middle school students, had found that young people looked up to members of these groups, and those recruited very much wanted to belong to them by personal choice. Each myth depicted in the documentary aims to exhibit gang members as young, violent, drug-selling recruiters intending to wreak havoc everywhere they are
Professor Gutierrez
CRJ 112
17 October 2016
Gang Video Assignment 1 From the film Street Gangs in Los Angeles, it portrays the 1990's as a time when gang activity had expanded into the communities as a widespread issue for both law enforcement agencies and the citizens living within society. The documentary illustrates the daily lives of gang members, including what type of people join these crowds, their reasons for affiliation, different activities the organizations participate in, how the surrounding community is affected by the gang movement, even proactive initiatives law enforcement agencies and surrounding neighborhoods have taken to resolve the issue. Throughout the video, it shows some of the factors leading up to the …show more content…
For instance, at one point in the documentary, the narrator had stated "Coke, crack, and alcohol boast violence," and to produce more compelling evidence, he showed only one interview with a former gang member who asserted drugs aided in making gang banging more violent because it helped bring guns into the organization. Howell and Griffiths (2016) prove gangs, drugs, and violence being inexorably linked as being a myth by pointing out research that confirms only few street gangs control drug distribution operations; when it comes to drug marketing, gangs find the activity as a secondary interest in comparison to identity construction and protecting neighborhood territories. Another occurrence during the video had portrayed the myth of gangs forcing young people to join. In a scene where the narrator had interviewed one mother, she claimed to have found a gang trying to force her son into joining their group. Howell and Griffiths (2016) debunk this myth of most youths being pressured into joining gangs by revealing research, from a 1996 survey taken by middle school students, had found that young people looked up to members of these groups, and those recruited very much wanted to belong to them by personal choice. Each myth depicted in the documentary aims to exhibit gang members as young, violent, drug-selling recruiters intending to wreak havoc everywhere they are