Gang Life By Robert J. Duran Essay - 974 Words

The book, Gang Life in Two Cities by Robert J. Durà ¡n to put simply is about the gang life in Denver, CO and Ogden, UT. Durà ¡n wrote this book to share his research findings. When Durà ¡n had to move to Huntsville, UT (but went to school in Ogden) he found himself immersed in an area where gangs were becoming popular. Durà ¡n, an ex-gang member himself was curious on how and why gangs operate. He found this research important, because he saw firsthand how society had a role in the formation of gangs. Duran felt that it needed to be brought to light what he witnessed while being a gang member himself and when he conducted his research. This book was different than other literature that had been produced, because Duran was able to get closer and inspect the deeper characteristics of gang life and gang members themselves. This is something that other researchers in the field are typically not able to accomplish. He took on the perspective of investigating what role racial o ppression had with the development of gangs. His perspective and his ex-gang membership background allowed him to be more trusted by all the gang members that he interviewed for this research. As mentioned previously Duran did conduct interviews as part of his data collection, but this wasn’t his full methodology. Duran used a multimethodological approach termed ethnography. Ethnography method allowed Duran to gather historical analysis, non-participant and participant observation, semi-structuredShow MoreRelatedPoverty and Crime (Sociology)1600 Words   |  7 PagesAshley Duran Sociology 1101 August 9, 2010 Poverty and Crime A social issue that has always intrigued me was crime (petty crime, violent crime, etc) in impoverished urban areas and the social and economic impact that crime causes in these areas. Before conducting my research into this topic, I have always pondered why crime and poverty are so closely related. Are these two so closely linked solely because of the lack of income in the area? Or are there some