Title: Street Gangs: A Multiple Marginality Perspective | Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Criminology
Headings: Street Gangs: A Multiple Marginality Perspective
Street Gangs: A Multiple Marginality Perspective
Summary
Keywords
Subjects
Multiple Marginality
Ethnohistorical Considerations
A Cross-Cultural Approach and Street Socialization
Social Control Themes
Group as Ego Ideal
Street Socialization and Human Development
Policy Formulations Based on Social Control
Balancing Strategies to Address Gang Youth
Comprehensive Analysis for Policy Strategies
Further Reading
References

Content: the purpose of the interview was to confirm her findings (Wolf, 2017 ). Still, regarding gangs, the broadest of discussions must begin with the topic of dynamics present in the gang neighborhoods, where many factors are intertwined. The actions and reactions among them spawn gangs and gang members (Franzese, Covey, & Menard, 2016 ). With respect to place/status, barrios (“neighborhoods”) or ethnic enclaves derive both from the external barriers imposed on a people as well as from internal forces, such as people’s choice to live within a community where individuals share similar backgrounds and culture. Living in spatially segregated and socially distanced neighborhoods makes for a marginal existence that closes, rather than opens, doors to social mobility (Tita, Cohen, & Engberg, 2005 ). Race and cultural differences also serve as a rationale for the isolation and denigration of each ethnic group (Santiago, Wadsworth, & Stump, 2011 ). The model of multiple marginality helps us to dissect and to analyze the ways in which marginal place and status undermine and exacerbate social, cultural, and psychological problems in ethnic minority communities, especially contributing to the breakdown of social control (Flynn, 2008 ). Social dysfunctions especially affect family life, educational trajectories, and interactions with law enforcement. In the absence of these influences, the gang replaces parenting, schooling, and policing to regulate the lives of many youth. Ultimately, a gang subculture arises to set rules and regulations for its members (Katz & Schnebly, 2011;