Reymundo Sanchez, the author of My Bloody Life gives us a first hand, real life account of his troubled adolescence and neglected upbringing that ultimately led him into a life of crime and into the throes of the Latin Kings, one of Chicago’s most feared Spanish gangs. Reymundo grew up in a tumultuous home; his mother was an immigrant who ended up in Chicago following her third husband Emilio, whom she married for money and security. Emilio disliked Reymundo and eventually turned his mother against him. Regular beatings and psychotic outbursts became a daily occurrence for Reymundo from both his parental figures; this led him to seek escape in any way possible. Demographically, due to the rapid urbanization from immigrants in Chicago, Reymundo
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As the story progresses there were countless examples of sociological themes. The theory of Social Learning and Control was plainly evident in this story. Reymundo learned from the streets at an extremely young age, he had no bonds or respect for his surrounding community, the people he interacted with and learned from had no respect for anyone, therefore he quickly lost any bonds that he may have formed in school, with neighbors and within his own family. Other theory’s presented themselves as well, such as Rational Choice theory in regards to Reymundo’s decision to join a gang for protection and companionship, Intersectionality in regards to Reymundo’s power struggle to become a main man in the Latin Kings. Social Contact theory which existed in the attitudes of the people in the community that lived in the North side of Chicago. Additionally, Life Course theory in that Reymundo chose to live a high risk lifestyle also Labeling theory was evident in regards to how the officers of the law treated the Hispanics in the North Side negatively and without respect. All these theories were evident in My Bloody Life, from a sociological perspective this fictional story is a perfect compilation of real life situations and events that show how a criminal can be formed by familial neglect, distrust, disloyalty and a lack of any type of community
As the story progresses there were countless examples of sociological themes. The theory of Social Learning and Control was plainly evident in this story. Reymundo learned from the streets at an extremely young age, he had no bonds or respect for his surrounding community, the people he interacted with and learned from had no respect for anyone, therefore he quickly lost any bonds that he may have formed in school, with neighbors and within his own family. Other theory’s presented themselves as well, such as Rational Choice theory in regards to Reymundo’s decision to join a gang for protection and companionship, Intersectionality in regards to Reymundo’s power struggle to become a main man in the Latin Kings. Social Contact theory which existed in the attitudes of the people in the community that lived in the North side of Chicago. Additionally, Life Course theory in that Reymundo chose to live a high risk lifestyle also Labeling theory was evident in regards to how the officers of the law treated the Hispanics in the North Side negatively and without respect. All these theories were evident in My Bloody Life, from a sociological perspective this fictional story is a perfect compilation of real life situations and events that show how a criminal can be formed by familial neglect, distrust, disloyalty and a lack of any type of community