Gangs and Society ─ Alternative Perspectives

Compiled by three leading experts in the psychological, sociological, and criminal justice fields, this volume addresses timely questions from an eclectic range of positions. The product of a landmark conference on gangs, Gangs and Society brings together the work of academics, activists, and community leaders to examine the many functions and faces of gangs today. Analyzing the spread of gangs from New York to Texas to the West Coast, the book covers such topics as the spirituality of gangs, the place of women in gang culture, and the effect on gangs of a variety of educational programs and services for at-risk youth. The final chapter examines the "gang-photography phenomenon" by looking at the functions and politics of different approaches to gang photography and features a photographic essay by Donna DeCesare, an award-winning journalist.

Louis Kontos is an associate professor of sociology at Long Island University, C. W. Post campus. David C. Brotherton is an associate professor of sociology and criminal justice at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and the CUNY Graduate Center. Luis Barrios is an assistant professor of psychology at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. With David Brotherton, he co-authored Between Black and Gold: The Street Politics of the Almighty Latin King and Queen Nation (Columbia 2003).