Living in a Social World
Psy 324: Advanced Social Psychology
Fall, 1996
Miami University

The Gang Spectrum

By: Kelley Guenther

Please Note: These materials may be used for research, study, and education, but please credit the authors and source.

     Intergroup bias plays a large role between gangs and American society as a whole. A gang is defined as, "a group of youths who are banded together in a specific context and whose activities include, but are not limited to, criminal acts; adults may or may not be a part of this group, but when there is adult involvement, they will only represent a small minority of the members of a gang " (Korem, 1995). The goal of this page is to interpret how intergroup bias, out-group homogeneity, the social identity theory, linguistics, and the fundamental attribution error play a large role in the relationships that occur between gangs and society. 

     When the discussion of inner-city gangs occurs, it is usually in the context of society as the in-group and gangs as the out-group. Much can be learned when the tables are turned making society the out-group and gangs the in-group. For example, gangs hold very negative, stereotypical attitudes about police. Out-group homogeneity is present in gang members’ perceptions of the police. It is common to hear gang members refer to police as "pigs", "po-po’s", or "5-o’s." By doing this, gang members are lumping police into a category and robbing them of any individuality. Gang members feel that all cops have the same characteristics, opinions, and behaviors. One stereotype that gang members have of police is that they are all out to get them. More specifically, gang members feel that police even go to the extreme as to promote gang wars between different gangs. This stereotype of police is exemplified in the autobiography of an ex-gang member named Monster. Out-group homogeneity occurs when one takes a close look at gang members’ perceptions of the police.

          The social identity theory can also provide insight into American gangs. Many young people join gangs to obtain a sense of self-esteem. A large number of gang members come from troubled, poor, or broken homes. Abuse, neglect, and loss are common themes among gang members. These gang members join gangs to feel proud about their new family" and gain respect. Therefore, self-esteem is gained and maintained through gang membership. ["Risk" photo copyrighted by Chad Timmreck]

          To obtain more information about gangs as the in-group, check out the FAME Gang Bangin’ Homepage. Here you will obtain access to hard to find information on gang-bangers (another name for gang members which refers to the initiation practice of gang raping) being good and positive and society being a menace to itself!!! 

         Gangs have many strategies to perpetuate their existence as the in-group. One of the most interesting ways in which gang members maintain their in-group status in relation to society is through the use of language. By using a common language that only gang members understand, they can create their own society in which they are the good guys and everyone else is the bad guys. Examples of this biased language used by gangs all across the country can be found by clicking on dictionary. 

         The majority of the information that the general public is exposed to concerning gangs in America places them in the negative, bad out-group. Think of the news, magazines, talk shows, movies, etc. that portray gangs. It’s not a pretty picture, is it? Gang members are commonly stereotyped as threats, delinquents, killers, thieves, etc. This phenomenon could further be explained by the following example: 

A man pulls out a shot gun and shoots a man standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus.

Think how your interpretation of the event would be different if:

A) The shooter was a business man driving a Mercedes and wearing a suit and tie.

B) The shooter was a man in a Mercedes with a blue bandanna tied around his head.

         American society, in general would likely attribute the behavior of the man in scenario A to situational factors such as the victim sleeping with his wife, someone paying him to commit the crime, someone holding a gun to the shooter’s head, etc. Yet in situation B, the average American would attribute the behavior to the shooter’s personal disposition. They may say things such as, "Those ignorant gang members walk around all day with nothing to do but kill people all day long, why don’t they get a job and work like everyone else" or "that person was crazy". The fundamental attribution error plays a large role in relationships between gang members and American society. 

         It is easy to see how gang members are viewed as the out-group in American society today. This opinion of gangs in American society can be looked at in further detail by linking into a proposal for a Federal Gang Violence Act written by a sheriff in Georgia. 

         Efforts must be made to reduce intergroup bias between gangs and society. Education of both sides of this relationship would be the most effective tool in fighting the biases held by each party. The gangs can neither be held responsible nor totally void of any responsibility for their attitudes and behaviors. Individual factors as well as societal factors have an influence on these gang-bangers. I do not have a remedy for the biases that each group holds for each other. If anyone else does, PLEASE SPEAK OUT!!!!

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