Human beings are social creatures by nature who group together to satisfy their hierarchical need to belong. Within these groups, individuals find comfort in surrounding themselves with others who share similar beliefs, values, characteristics, and goals in life. This fundamental aspect of human nature ultimately creates an “Us versus Them” mentality, where the “in” group will see their peers as superior to other groups, differentiating themselves through ridicule and inventing false analogies to the other group. For individuals, especially adolescents, living in poverty and less-than-adequate conditions, having that sense of belonging to a group whose members struggle with similar difficulties may be what ultimately gives them the hope of moving on. after you. In his novel Gang Leader for a Day, Sudhir Venkatesh uses an ethnographic approach to provide a direct and in-depth analysis of the internal dynamics of the Black Kings gang. Diving directly into the gang as a graduate student, Venkatesh bridges the gap between the media's portrayal of gang members and individuals living in poverty on television and how they actually behave, and highlights the misconceptions that many people outside they have gangs around them. relation to gang violence, power, police involvement and protection, employment or economic dynamics of gang members. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay News stations often broadcast the most horrific scenes surrounding gang activity, such as images of evidence of murders, drug busts, and stores that have been broken into. Rather than intervene and experience life with predominantly group activity, many people passively accept the scenes they see and will automatically see the people involved as criminals. The gang members depicted in the novel used violence only when they saw fit, mostly to assert power or dominance over each other. They often did not necessarily want to be violent, but felt they needed to maintain an intimidating image to protect themselves from rival gangs or intruders. Indeed, after an attack on Robert Taylor, the young gang members left to stand guard usually "prided themselves of tenacity and their willingness to kill for the family... But with real danger, they seemed trembling, their eyes wide open full of fear” (Venkatesh, 2008, p. 223). This was not necessarily a total facade because other cases have shown that gang members were more than willing to physically harm those who had offended the gang. . In the event that they beat up Billy and Otis, JT chooses to punish them both by hitting them on the ground due to financial problems, theft, and debt to the gang (p. 134). Billy and Otis kept their hands behind their backs and willingly allowed JT to hitting them. Violence in this case is used more as a punishment than as an improvised act as others might assume. It shows that asserting violence is a byproduct of having high status and power within a gang, which is what members do. of the gang ultimately wish to obtain. Power within the Robert Taylor community as a whole usually comes from how close a person is to the Black Kings gang. , their association with the gang's economic advantages, or how high up in the hierarchy they are within the gang. JT and Mrs. Bailey, for example, were “the most formidable power brokers in the neighborhood” (p. 201). JT gained his power simply by instilling fear in others. The other members ofgang beneath him are generally young, mischievous men, tired of the social system that put them into the gang in the first place and that keeps them and their families in Robert Taylor, succumbing to its merciless poverty. Once a person gains enough power within this gang, others are willing to work under them or be associated with them because they know they will have protection. Even when Venkatesh leaked confidential financial data of several cheaters like Robert Taylor, no one came to bash him due to his association with JT. Mrs. Bailey is “the local IRS who manages the building (p.192). It is powerful because it has the ability to take away shelter and social benefits from residents. He is able to repair the residents' apartments, provide them with cheap electricity, and find other projects thanks to his connection with JT and the gang, as well as several crooks throughout the building. He realizes that it might be a little dishonest to do business with a gang like her, but explains to Venkatesh: “In projects it is more important that you take care of the problem first. Then you worry about how you approached the problem” (p. 164). This interconnectedness within the community also echoes throughout the economic system, which closely mirrors legal business models. However, Venkatesh refers to this system as “outlaw capitalism” (p. 37). People on the outside think that gang members are simply thugs who sell crack and other drugs to make a quick buck and run away, some kind of pastime, when in reality it's all part of a very fragile system. If one person makes a mistake, such as failing to pay, it affects the entire network of people working together to stay afloat. This is why gang members try not to get into so much trouble; not because they are afraid of the police, but if one person gets arrested or killed, they are unable to do business and then everyone else has to pick up the slack or bring someone new in for the business. In essence, Robert Taylor's people earn more money on the streets and through their welfare checks than they would if they went out and tried to find legitimate work (p. 176). Due to social pressures and stigma, they would have difficulty finding such jobs, and there are virtually no economic opportunities for people beyond clandestine and illegal trade, even if they wanted to leave. For example, JT himself went to college on an athletic scholarship, loved reading about history and politics, and later got a job as a salesman, but felt limited because of his racial boundaries in the workplace (p. 27). Furthermore, economic records provided by Tbone to Venkatesh showed that their economy unequally distributed the profits earned on the streets. This means that there was also a hierarchy through which those with more power, like JT, were paid more, while his foot soldiers, usually teenagers or new members, were paid much less even though they were more exposed to the dangers of the streets. In the end, though, it was worth it because gang-associated jobs come with valuable benefits that legitimate jobs couldn't offer, such as gang protection if someone gets into trouble. Such protection proved extremely valuable, considering that the gang had more power and influence in Robert Taylor's neighborhood than the Chicago Police Department. Due to “decades of government neglect,” if a shooting occurs or someone is robbed, gangs are called to help well before the police are called (p. 37-38). A widespread misconception that the police are always fair, impartial, and legitimate rings false throughout the novel. So long as.