Getting’ right with Humpty: Or how sociologists propose to break up gangs, patch broken communities, and make scary children into conventional adults

Abstract

A critical reappraisal of the soc1al scientific literature on gang research and mtervention strategies finds the social disorgan1zat1on parad1gm employed by most experts in the field sorely wanting Its central problem is that it severely undervalues ordisnesses altogether the viability of the civil society in those communities where gangs have emerged Based on this premtse . experts end up predtcting that gangs will appea r anywhere and are content to recommend Intervention strategtes that do not work and further erode the capactty of local groups to respond to the ir gang problems An alternattve perspecttve on youth culture and gangs in communities is offered based on a strongervtewofcivil soctety and thecapactty of communities to integrate young persons tnto a grownup world