Thesis (M.A.)--Carleton University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 108-114). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.S.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2005. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-108).

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 167-176). Also available via the World Wide Web.

M.A. / The 1950s saw an upsurge in gang activities and as a result other alternative cultures emerged. In the midst of gang activities, a subcultural group that has come to represent the black township was in form; Amapantsula. This study examines changing Amapantsula identities, from the original style and dance to the present day, through the voices of actual Amapantsula insiders. Duduza township is used as a case study for the research. This dissertation attempts to begin to answer these more general question of what it is that constitutes the Amapantsula identity. While much work, past as well as recent, refers to Amapantsula, there are few studies dealing with Amapantsula as an identity, although some have been done on the links between kwaito music and Amapantsula. Although there has been a focus on kwaito music, which is associated with Amapantsula identity, there has not been much reference to the meaning of the accompanying dance. Moreover, present-day identification with Amapantsula identity has not been explored, and questions as to why most of the youth take part in it have been left unanswered. The following methodologies have been used. In this dissertation, data was generated through the use of interviewing (collecting oral histories using structured and semi-structured interviews) and by participant observation. The thesis consists of six chapters where within each new chapter deals with different aspects, of how the amapantsula construct their identities will be explored. In chapter 1 some of the theoretical considerations which inform this dissertation are examined. This is followed by a discussion of the debates in the literature on the Amapantsula. Some of the theoretical concepts that are explored touch on i my understanding of culture, including popular culture and subcultures. Theories on the origins of the Amapantsula are considered. Questions on whether they are a subculture or not, whether all Amapantsula are also tsotsis and the connection between the Amapantsula and political resistance will also be deliberated upon. All these issues will also be further reflected upon in individual chapters. The age bracket that defines the Amapantsula shifts continuously since they have began to be noticed as a popular phenomenon. Prior to 1976, the majority of Amapantsula ranged from the ages of 30 onwards. However, the political shifts that took place in the ’70s influenced the changes that the Amapantsula underwent in terms of age and behavioural patterns. For the process of this research the ages range between of 14 and 25, but also Amapantsula from different generations have been used so that a holistic conclusion can be reached. Chapter two outlines the Amapantsula of Duduza and includes the historical background of the township. There is also a discussion on how identity and performance is enacted and experienced by Amapantsula in this particular township. Chapter three explores issues of masculinity within the subculture of Amapantsula, in particular, how Amapantsula live their masculinity in their everyday lives. How concepts of masculinity impact on performance is also examined. In addition, a brief discussion of abomshoza (the female counterpart) is introduced. Chapter four looks at the dress and style of Amapantsula, focussing particularly on the fossilised icons of the 16 inch and All Star. Finally, chapter five deals with the dance, such as the origins of dance and how it can be used to construct a large part of the Amapantsula identity, with particular reference to meaning in dance by the Via Katlehong. This dissertation attempts to illustrate the dynamic process of identity creation through the use of Amapantsula.

Les médias occupent une place importante au sein des sociétés occidentales, notamment en raison de l’accessibilité des « nouvelles technologies de l’information ». Le marché de la nouvelle en subit des conséquences en ce qui a trait à la création de la nouvelle entourant des phénomènes sociaux ou plutôt, aux yeux des médias, des problèmes sociaux. La présente thèse jette un regard sur le discours médiatique à l’égard de l’une de ces « problématiques sociales », celle des gangs à Montréal. En observant la sélection des faits qui sont rapportés, commentés et interprétés dans la presse, notre recherche montre comment le phénomène des gangs est représenté dans le journal La Presse entre 1980 et 2010. 348 articles ont été analysés durant ces trente années où les gangs sont évoqués. Nous avons pu en dégager trois grands axes. D’abord, la définition du concept de gang n’est pas plus claire dans les médias qu’elle ne l’est dans la littérature scientifique. D’ailleurs, la ligne entre les gangs et les groupes criminels traditionnels n’est pas toujours facile à tracer dans la représentation médiatique. Ensuite, les membres des gangs ne sont pas seulement présentés comme des Autres au sens criminologique, mais généralement comme des ‘Autres étrangers’, les minorités visibles étant implicitement ou explicitement associées à cette problématique sociale tout au long de notre période à l’étude. Finalement, les gangs sont dépeints comme étant plus présents et plus dangereux chaque jour, et ce, dès 1989. Cette dimension alarmiste du discours médiatique sur les gangs semble liée au fait que, très souvent, les journalistes relaient les dires des policiers sans leur ajouter des faits explicatifs, qui auraient favorisé une meilleure compréhension de ce phénomène complexe.

Thesis advisor: Gustavo Morello / In this thesis, I analyze the conditions brought about by neoliberal reforms that contributed to the emergence of youth gangs in Latin America in the 1980s and 90s. I draw upon economic determinism theory to help explain this phenomenon. I then assess the extent to which four factors—state-sponsored political violence, economic volatility, the rise of the drug trade, and migration (both external and internal)—contributed to higher youth gang participation rates by conducting a comparative case study analysis. This analysis examines the factors that led to the emergence of youth gangs in Guatemala and Brazil. I surmise that the findings of this study are transferable and applicable to the whole of Latin America. I argue that the latter three factors were primarily responsible for compelling individuals to join youth gangs. Finally, I recommend governmental policies that Latin American governments ought to adopt if they wish to eradicate youth gang violence. / Thesis (BA) — Boston College, 2021. / Submitted to: Boston College. College of Arts and Sciences. / Discipline: Arts and Sciences Honors Program. / Discipline: Sociology.

Research on gangs has traditionally focused on identifying the risk factors associated with youth gang membership in multiple developmental domains with limited attention on examining the protective factors that may buffer youth from joining gangs (Howell & Egley, 2005). Educational and psychological research have found robust evidence that school engagement protects youth from a host of risky activities and negative outcomes (e.g., substance use, dropping out of school) and may hold promise in also protecting youth from gang involvement. Therefore, the purpose of the present study is three-fold: (1) to identify students who are at risk for gangs; (2) to investigate whether school engagement can be a protective factor for youth at risk for joining gangs; and (3) to examine whether a well-supported model of motivational development can account for the dynamics that may facilitate or undermine school engagement as a protective factor for gang involvement. Data (N = 342) from an ethnically/racially diverse and socio-economic homogeneous sample were analyzed. Students reported on their levels of (1) engagement versus disaffection from school activities, (2) belongingness, competence, and autonomy, (3) school climate and teacher support, and (4) attraction to and participation in diverse extracurricular activities. In addition, an innovative method for measuring student attraction to gangs was tested. Preliminary evidence indicated that Gang Attraction Profile was a distinct student profile that was structurally different and not redundant with traditional methods of self-reported gang membership. The Gang Attraction profile was sensitive in distinguishing youth of differing levels of gang attraction and gang involvement. Results also indicated that school environments that are experienced as supportive and caring promoted student engagement and achievement. Evidence was found that belongingness to the school played an important role in buffering youth from being attracted to and involved in gangs. Specifically, a student's self-perception of belongingness was related to higher levels of school engagement and teacher support, and lower levels of gang attraction and gang involvement. These results not only highlighted the importance of school belongingness in buffering youth from negative outcomes such as gang involvement and gang attraction, but also revealed a different motivational process that may lead to gang involvement than previously expected. Implications for the design of prevention and intervention programs are discussed as well as directions for future research.

This is a study of the gangs that inhabited Philadelphia and its neighboring districts in the mid-nineteenth century. In discussing the drastic societal shifts taking place in major American cities during this period--industrialization, immigration, urbanization, and the solidifying of class lines, this work paints a chaotic scene. Within this tumultuous setting, gangs emerged in working-class neighborhoods to meet two basic needs of their members and the communities they occupied. First, gang membership allowed working-class boys and men to establish shared identities. Utilizing a gender analysis, this study will demonstrate how working-class males developed a distinct version of masculinity. Set in defiance of middle-class values of self-control, wealth accumulation, and respect for the social hierarchy, this brand of masculinity embraced rowdiness, intemperance, and libertinism. Participation in activities such as assault, drinking, and battling rivals allowed gang members to assert their working-class manhood. Additionally, gang membership helped working-class boys and men carve out identities within their own neighborhoods. In the rapidly changing urban landscape, native-born whites, immigrants, and African Americans often lived alongside one another. By forming gangs along ethnic, religious, and political lines, these young men developed a sense of community and camaraderie in a sea of strangers. The second function mid-nineteenth century Philadelphia's gangs served was to empower their members and communities. Through violent attacks, gangs could establish a degree of control over which ethnic, racial, or religious groups lived and worked within their neighborhoods. Second, gangs empowered their members and communities politically. Recognizing their skill in using force, politicians in the mid-nineteenth century allied themselves with gangs in order to win elections. In return for their services, gang members received patronage positions and a degree of protection from the law. To Philadelphia's ruling elites, the poorer masses' increased participation in politics was unacceptable. In an effort to curb the influence of the city's and surrounding districts' gangs, reformers fought to establish a more effective system of law enforcement and to bureaucratize local government. As this thesis argues, the consolidation of Philadelphia and its neighboring districts in 1854 represents the traditional authorities' attempt to wrangle political power from the ward bosses of less affluent communities. / History

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