Urban Aboriginal Gangs

“Urban Aboriginal Gangs and Street Society in the Canadian West: Places, Performances, and Predicaments of Transition” by Kathleen Buddle, provided interesting connections to our previous readings and class discussions related to the effects of life chances (Ringer, 2004; 2014; 2010). Additionally, it provided unique insights into the lived experiences of former Winnipeg gang members. The first-person accounts included here proved to be particularly thought-provoking and provided significant insight into various stages of gang membership.
While Buddle includes the personal histories of female gang members Jessie McKay and Ivy, additional information on the role of women in gangs is limited. Based on previous discussions and past readings, …show more content…
More information on this process is desirable, notably because these two men announced their desistance while incarcerated at Stoney Mountain Penitentiary and were consequently ostracised for the remainder of their sentences (Buddle, 2011). We know from this work that corrections systems are the primary pathway through which gangs recruit new members, often under duress and for the purpose of protection (Buddle, 2011). Buddle identifies many challenges associated with getting out of gang life (i.e., paying off debts to the gang, finding employment with a criminal record, facing stigma related to gang involvement, etc.). She also notes that this can be particularly difficult in cases involving youth and that many organizations dedicated to this process are “chronically underfunded” (Buddle, 2011). While it is easy for one to imagine why it might be so difficult and even dangerous to leave a gang, a more detailed account of the process, inside and outside of the corrections system, would be intriguing. For instance, what are the specific challenges associated with this process and how do individuals overcome these challenges? Do individuals in these situations sometimes waffle (for financial reasons, emotional reasons, etc.) in their attempts and experience subsequent ramifications at the hands of other gang members, and if so, at …show more content…
(2011). Urban Aboriginal Gangs and Street Sociality in the Canadian West: Places, Performances, and Predicaments of Transition in Howard, H. A., & Proulx, C., eds. Aboriginal Peoples in Canadian Cities: Transformations and Continuities (pp. 171-195). Waterloo, ON, CAN: Wilfrid Laurier University Press.
• Fraser, A. (2013). Street habitus: Gangs, territorialism and social change in Glasgow. Journal of Youth Studies, 16(8), 970-985. 10.1080/13676261.2013.793791
• Freng, A., Davis, T., McCord, K., & Roussell, A. (2012). The New American Gang? Gangs in Indian Country. Journal of Contemporary Criminal Justice, 28(4), 446-464. 10.1177/1043986212458193
• Grant, C. M. (2009) Canadian Gangs in Indian Country: An Overview of a Growing Problem. * additional reference information unavailable
• Grant, C. M. (2009) Canadian Gangs in Indian Country: An Overview of a Growing Problem. * additional reference information unavailable
• Grekul, J., & LaBoucane-Benson, P. (2008). Aboriginal Gangs and Their (Dis)placement: Contextualizing Recruitment, Membership, and Status. Canadian Journal of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 50(1), 59-82. 10.3138/cjccj.50.1.59
• Ringer, F. K.. (2004;2014;2010;). Max weber: An intellectual biography (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago