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.

News reports of an escalating youth gang problem are frequent in current Canadian media. However, empirical study of factors contributing to youth gang affiliation, particularly in regards to protective factors that may be targeted in intervention and prevention efforts is lacking, especially in Canadian populations. This study was initiated as an exploratory study to examine the relationship between degrees of gang affiliation and measures of social/emotional competency, with a view to identifying a tool that could possibly be utilized to guide intervention planning efforts. The relationship with group affiliation, as well as the relationship to measures of aggression were also included to lend further depth to the analysis. The target population was youth between the ages of 12 to 15 years old who may have been at earlier (lesser degree and more transient) stages of gang affiliation.<p> Data for this study were collected in self-report survey format from 109 youth between the ages of 12 and 15 years of age from several urban Saskatchewan schools. Correlational analysis was performed to investigate the relationships between group and gang affiliation on the BarOn EQ-i: YV (BarOn & Parker, 2000), and the Aggression Questionnaire (Buss & Perry, 1992). Significant relationships were found between gang affiliation and the BarOn EQ-i: YV Interpersonal and Adaptability composites, and Total EQ scores, as well was with the Physical Aggression subscale of the Aggression Questionnaire. Differences in relationships emerged when the sample was separated by gender. There was a lack of significant relationship found between degree of group (non-gang) affiliation and gang affiliation amongst respondents in this study. Significant correlations were found between degree of group affiliation and the BarOn EQ-i: YV and between group affiliation and the Aggression Questionnaire results. Independent sample T-tests were utilized to investigate gender differences, with significant findings noted. An ANOVA was performed to assess for differences in the social/emotional competency and aggression measures, between outlier groups on the group and gang affiliation measures, with significant findings of between group differences.<p> While the BarOn EQ-i: YV emerges as a potentially valuable tool for the identification of alterable characteristics related to youth gang affiliation, the results of this study are preliminary in nature. Limitations of study design, measures, and sample group are identified, along with recommendations for future research.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2001. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

The story of the Tricycle Gang begins when I was in pre-school. At the young age of four, my three friends and I decided that we were going to be the only ones allowed to ride the four tricycles on the playground. Our small gang rode around the playground feeling powerful, swinging our shirts above our heads as we chased our classmates around the play structure. As I have grown older, I have recognized the strangeness of my preschool experience. Why would a well to do four-year-old think to form a gang at such and early age? Without much exposure to gangs, where would this idea have come from? My thesis tells the story of my little clique, and then moves to explore the motivations behind joining gangs, especially at a young age, and discusses children’s perceptions of them. I then go on to discuss power structures by looking at the philosophical works of Nietzsche and Machiavelli. Lastly, I put my art in historical and cultural context be examining artists with similar bodies of work. My work is an installation piece in wood and plaster. In my first semester, I will be completing one of the tricycle gangsters sitting on his tricycle, modeled after myself. The tricycle is made of wood and the figure is a plaster cast. The plaster cast will be dressed in clothing reminiscent of the tricycle gang, and then painted one solid color, clothes and all. If my work makes it into the spring show, I will build out the gang to four figures.

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.

Proefschrift Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. / Met bibliogr., lit. opg. - Met samenvatting in het Nederlands.

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.

Submitted to the Faculty of Arts in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Sociology in the Department of Sociology at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 1996. / This research is based on Gang Conflict in the South African Prisons, with special reference to Waterval prison, 1980-1992. This research primarily attempts to describe the prison subculture in terms of its characteristics and influence as they relate to conflict situations. Furthermore, it outlines this phenomenon as it affects the behaviour and attitudes of prisoners in general and prison officials in particular. In assessing the major impact of Gang Conflict as a form of deviance towards prison officials efforts to rehabilitation, the theories of Robert Merton as well as that of Karl Marx (i.e. Anomie and Alienation) have a tremendous influence in this study. Other sociological theories are considered as contributory to the study. For purposes of collecting data, a survey questionnaire was administered to 50 prison warders, with more than 3 years experience, drawn from the total population of Waterval prison warders. To put the study of Gang Conflict in context, chapter 2 contains the background and development of Waterval Prison, which does not justify the conditions and treatment of priosners. Regarding some gangs found in the South African prisons, chapter 3 gives an exposition to the origin, structure and function of most important prison gangs. Chapter 4, further outlines the character of prison subculture and its influence on deviance to both prisoners and and prison warders. The existence and survival of prison gangs are due to factors both inside and outside the prison. In the light of the findings of this study, the following was recommended: * The need for further research in a number of aspects, related to this problem and the service structure facilities needed. * The image of warders should be actively enhanced. Their sense of responsibility, loyalty, educational level, in-service training and ability to cope professionally with their task should receive top priority to combat gangs. This enhancement is further recommended to other prison departments, to ascertain a cross-cultural picture. * Prison officials should always be on the look-out for gangs and strict control measures by all personnel against gangs may be simple solution to the problem. Therefore, they should be able to identify gang members. * Health and welfare services as well as psychiatric and psychological services should be common functions of the prison without class interests. This might consolidate in the total eradication of Prison Gangs.

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.

No description available.