Why Are Gangs So Prevalent In Urban Areas

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Why are gangs so prevalent in urban areas? Gangs are widespread in lower income high crime areas and I would like to know why this happens in these areas more than any other areas. You do not hear of any gang activity in Short Hills or South Orange but you do hear of gang activity in places like Newark, Paterson or Camden.
By using all three sociological perspectives, it can help provide an answer in regards to human behavior and the why behind a large number of gangs in urban areas. Structural functionalist connect the dots to see how society functions together as a whole. Functionalist view gangs as actually helping society. Emile Durkheim believed that in order to study society, we need to look beyond social facts (laws, morals, or values) Eliminate the fact that gangs commit crimes that involve, robbery, drugs, and murder and look for a silver lining. The silver lining would be without the gangs and gang violence, there would be a reduction of jobs in the law enforcement field. Functionalist can view gangs in urban areas as yin and yang. The Yin would be society’s law to protect society from violence, for example, police officers …show more content…
Regarding gangs in urban areas, as a conflict theorist, I would see this social issue as a pattern of supremacy, submission, and struggle between those who have power and those who want power. Many gangs live by the motto of money, power, and respect. These three words drive the battle for the standing or the position of high power like the Gang Lord. Conflict theory looks at society as a completion of limited resources. Limited resources in the urban areas in which gangs are a mainstay include territory and the distribution of guns or drugs. The struggle over limited resources often creates gang wars, which is the physical fight often resulting in the death of members of the gang to

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