There were so many cultures that stood out, but the one that was the most interesting was gang culture. There is one gang that I would like to talk about and that would be MS13 which is the Mara Salvatrucha. This is a combination of Mara, meaning gang, Salva, for Salvador, and trucha, meaning street smarts. The name also comes from peasants who fought in the 1980-1992 civil war that raged in El Salvador (The Sun). The gang members have many different ways they communicate with each other. The way they greet each other are by throwing up their gang sign. They have gang symbol they do with their hands for communication and identification (Gang Awareness Guide). The symbol used is called the devil’s head. It is called the devil’s head because when gestured, it looks like the “M” for Mara when turned upside town. The members of MS-13 also usually have many tattoos covering their body and even on their faces. The tattoos that they usually get are, “MS-13”, “MS", "Salvatrucha", …show more content…
They use this sign language to protect themselves from other gangs or police. The sign language they use are also to identify yourself as a member of the gang. It can also be used to flash warnings real fast when there is a threat or if they are in trouble (Gang Gestures). Their body language is just as similar as other gang members. The body language is some sort of bounce that they add to when they walk (Body Language Dictionary). They also put their pants or shorts below their behind and also like to wear baggy clothes. The gang members act tough so they won't look weak. No gang would like anyone that is weak. Looking weak in a gang shows that you are not willing to do things that higher members tell you to do. For example, MS-13 has their members killing people and selling drugs. If you are not willing to do that, then you will be the one that is killed. It also shows that you would not be there for them if something bad were to
The language is different, yet means the same thing. They have codes that they use with their hands. They stay loyal to the gang or they die, they take care of their own. Every member is well taken care of within the group which is the misconception for some who join. Be in a gang and become a part of a family, a brotherhood, make more money than they would with an average job; for most immigrants in California jobs would be becoming a gardener, moving furniture around, manual labor at factories, etc.
“As a result, MS13’s Central American branches have been able to rebuild their organizational structures from the inside prisons walls, as well as expand their capacity to carry out crimes such as kidnappings, car robberies, extortion schemes, and other criminal activities” (MS13 Profile). It is said in marasalvatrucha.weebly.com that members of MS13 ages range from 11 to 40 years old. “Many members join the gang at a young age because they think it will help them look tougher and protect them from bullies” (Mara Salvatrucha). It also tells us that the fact that MS13 is known as one of the most dangerous gangs they join to make others scared. “Recruitment of younger initiates is encouraged from within the gang as well, as the younger a person is, the harder it is to punish them traditionally in the judicial system” (Mara
Second, the thesis is shown through the perspective of Ernesto Vera. Ernesto Vera was the eldest child in the Vera family. His two younger siblings, Lupe and Ray, otherwise known as Payasa and Lil Mosco, are both heavily involved with gang violence and all types of gang activity, but not Ernie. Ernesto said, “When I’m passing houses, I only hear TVs on, and all the anchors are talking about is looting and fire and Rodney King and black people and anger and that’s cool, whatever, because I’m focused on something else.” (6).
The crips which are distinct for their use of the color blue is often used in their graffiti and their gang name. With names such as Rolling 60’s Crips, Avalon Garden Crips, Acacia Bloc Crips etc, this is pretty apparent. Their graffiti also can be seen using the letters “BK” meaning “Blood Killers” stating their rivalry with the Bloods gangs. Bloods are distinct for their use of the color red which just like the Crips is often used in their graffiti and their name. However unlike the Crips the bloods are also known to use the words “Piru” in their gang names.
The items that are more nonmaterial and/or have a nonmaterial meaning include: hand gestures fellow gang members use to greet each other, flimsy caskets sent to families of dead gang members, the dominant culture having an ‘immigration hammer’, the idea that gang members are more useful to the country 's dead than alive, gang members calling each other by their ‘street names’, and the view that gangs are ‘domestic terrorists’. All items are both material and nonmaterial, however all are more of one than the
Also ”gangs offer protection and governance in places where established institutions fail, and that it makes sense for prisoners to join them,” (Skarbek). This is the main reason people join gangs they are forced to in order to insure their safety. The reason the leaders of the gang allow people to join and keep the safe is explained here ”Gangs can trade far more effectively than lone inmates. Prisoners listen when they threaten violence; members can ease trade from the outside after their release. Consumers, in this case buyers of drugs, benefit too.
The Mexican Mafia also known as La Eme (Spanish for “the letter M”) or Trece (Spanish for the number “13”) is a Hispanic, Mexican / American criminal Organization that was formed in prison in 1957-Present day. The characteristics of this Gang is really Organized, they go by ranking structures they have their soldiers, caporegime , under boss, and the boss. They are many ways to extinguish them by their tattoos, the color green in clothing, the Mexican flag, the number 13, the Aztecas, or a letter “M”. You have to do jobs for them in order to get in or follow orders, or get beat by the gang to get in and if successful you will be in the gang and will “always be protected by them ”.
Prison gangs have been and are a growing problem. Prison organizations throughout the United States have tried many different strategies to address the issue of prison gang members. One of the problems is that gang members are more of a threat to the staff and other inmates than regular inmates who are not in a gang. The prisons have problems begin able to house certain serious offenders that need to be kept separate because of the limited spacing. Gangs in the prison have a higher disruption and incident rate then non gang members.
Gangs represent themselves by symbolizing different colored bandanas for each gang, wearing baggy clothes, and mainly jeans and t-shirts. Rap music is typically associated with gangs also. Lingo of gangs can be things such as heavy use of slang, derogatory terms which are usually used to describe other gangs, and secret codes. A secret code of the largest American gang, the Bloods, is “suwoop” which is supposed to imitate the sound of a police siren. Tattoos can represent a gang too, as many will get tattoos all over their bodies that symbolize which gang they are associated with.
The first real study of social disorganization happened during the 1800’s in France by two men, Adolph Quetelet and Andre-Michel Guerry. They studied social disorganization by taking the recently released criminal records and mapping them. They were able to show that crime is related to places. After Adolph and Andre Michel came Robert Parks and Ernest Burgess who studied the similarities between ecology and urban social structures. Parks and Burgess after seeing how time played a role in how cities are affected, created a theory called the Concentric Zone theory.
They would usually get into many fights with other gangs because they disliked the people from the other gangs. These gangs didn’t really do violent things when they were first formed, but as the years passed by violence started becoming more common. They started murdering people, and doing drive-by shootings in their own communities. The age for people to join the gangs soon changed. The age was now 12
Another way to identify them is their extensively tattooed members with symbolism. Facial tattoos are a common thing in both gangs. Alike each tattooed tear corresponds to a crime. Cobweb tattoos are a symbol of pride for both groups, meaning the member has been in jail. MS-13 members are not allowed to use the color green, white and red as a clear allusion of its hatred towards Mexicans.
There are many different phenomenons that could be explained by sociological theories. Sociology studies these occurrences to explain why people do the things they do. Crimes rates can be defined by symbolic interactionism, functionalist theory and conflict theory. People are born into the wrong neighborhood and grow up stealing.
The world is diverse and filled with so many different types of cultures. Many are specific for a certain country or often seen worldwide. It also depends on their history. For example, Thailand is a unique country with a cultured filled history. They can be compared and contrasted with other cultures, for example,the U.S. culture.
Gangs are believed to be a type of human conflict in sociology. Some believe that gangs are a problem because they have been around within society and therefore it is assumed to be a problem. However some think that it is manufactured paranoia that is created by people who want to assert fear and panic to profit from such as to agencies and special groups. Knowing that Gangs inflict problems in society makes society believe that gangs are the roots of all problem, therefore it is a social problem, however this is argued to be contradictory as people themselves can create the problem by pinning it on what society has already agreed to be unacceptable.