Video Response Worksheet / SOCI 101 CCBC / Fall 2016 Section 03 / World’s Most Dangerous Gang
a. Deviance/p. 194: The violation of norms (or rules or expectations). (Henslin 194)
In Chapter 8 of the textbook, Sociology A Down-To-Earth Approach, the question “What is Deviance?” is asked. In my opinion, the answer would be the gang followed in this documentary video. Their name, MS-13, in Salvadorian Spanish, stands for Mara, meaning “group” or “clique” and Salvatrucha is commonly known to mean “street smart”. (Wikimedia Foundation) The majority of the acts that the MS-13 gang commits are deviant, because of the reaction to those acts. As the textbook states, “It is not the act itself, but the reactions to the act, that make something deviant.” …show more content…
A symbol is defined as something to which people attach meaning and then use to communicate with one another. Some of the many symbols used by the MS-13 gang are tattoos, hand signs/signals, and specific words. There are certain tattoos that every MS-13 gang member has. This is because the tattoos are not a mere form body art. Each tattoo has a meaning and the longer that someone has been a MS-13 member, the more tattoos he or she will have. The tattoos become a resume for a gang member. Of course, there is the obvious MS-13 tattoo. Additionally, many members have a series of numbers tattooed on them. The numbers represent where that person originated from as a member of the gang. For instance, the area code for Los Angeles may be tattooed on someone to communicate that this is where their origin with the gang occurred. Some other tattoos include three dots that form a triangle. These dots are usually placed on the face or hand, signifying that there are only three ways that gang life ends: jail, the hospital, or the grave. The tattoo of the praying hands means “forgive me mother for my crazy life. “Stacking” is the gang’s way of communicating with one another through the use of different hand signals. The most widely used being the …show more content…
Differential association begins at the very moment an individual decides to join the MS-13 gang. The prospective MS-13 member undergoes a relentless beating from four to five MS-13 gang members for no less than thirteen seconds. If the individual survives the hazing, he or she is accepted into MS-13. From then on, the individual is thrown into a world of crime and violence. One of the first tasks that a new member must do in order to solidify his or her new identity as an MS-13 solider is to shoot a rival gang member. Moreover, once an individual has become an established MS-13 gang member, the only way to make a mark for him or herself and to get recognized by the higher ranks within the gang, they must commit a random act of violence. The more violent the act, the more the individual will get noticed. This is exactly what happened at a dinner in the city of Los Angeles. A female MS-13 gang member approached a young man who attends a nearby college and decided to stop and for some lunch. The MS-13 female asked the young man “Where he was from?”. In the world of gangs, this phrase is code for, “What gang are you with?” The young man answered truthfully, stating that he was not affiliated with any gang. The girl left and minutes later returned with several other, male, MS-13 members. They approached the young man and severely beat him, after which, they left the dinner.
a. Deviance/p. 194: The violation of norms (or rules or expectations). (Henslin 194)
In Chapter 8 of the textbook, Sociology A Down-To-Earth Approach, the question “What is Deviance?” is asked. In my opinion, the answer would be the gang followed in this documentary video. Their name, MS-13, in Salvadorian Spanish, stands for Mara, meaning “group” or “clique” and Salvatrucha is commonly known to mean “street smart”. (Wikimedia Foundation) The majority of the acts that the MS-13 gang commits are deviant, because of the reaction to those acts. As the textbook states, “It is not the act itself, but the reactions to the act, that make something deviant.” …show more content…
A symbol is defined as something to which people attach meaning and then use to communicate with one another. Some of the many symbols used by the MS-13 gang are tattoos, hand signs/signals, and specific words. There are certain tattoos that every MS-13 gang member has. This is because the tattoos are not a mere form body art. Each tattoo has a meaning and the longer that someone has been a MS-13 member, the more tattoos he or she will have. The tattoos become a resume for a gang member. Of course, there is the obvious MS-13 tattoo. Additionally, many members have a series of numbers tattooed on them. The numbers represent where that person originated from as a member of the gang. For instance, the area code for Los Angeles may be tattooed on someone to communicate that this is where their origin with the gang occurred. Some other tattoos include three dots that form a triangle. These dots are usually placed on the face or hand, signifying that there are only three ways that gang life ends: jail, the hospital, or the grave. The tattoo of the praying hands means “forgive me mother for my crazy life. “Stacking” is the gang’s way of communicating with one another through the use of different hand signals. The most widely used being the …show more content…
Differential association begins at the very moment an individual decides to join the MS-13 gang. The prospective MS-13 member undergoes a relentless beating from four to five MS-13 gang members for no less than thirteen seconds. If the individual survives the hazing, he or she is accepted into MS-13. From then on, the individual is thrown into a world of crime and violence. One of the first tasks that a new member must do in order to solidify his or her new identity as an MS-13 solider is to shoot a rival gang member. Moreover, once an individual has become an established MS-13 gang member, the only way to make a mark for him or herself and to get recognized by the higher ranks within the gang, they must commit a random act of violence. The more violent the act, the more the individual will get noticed. This is exactly what happened at a dinner in the city of Los Angeles. A female MS-13 gang member approached a young man who attends a nearby college and decided to stop and for some lunch. The MS-13 female asked the young man “Where he was from?”. In the world of gangs, this phrase is code for, “What gang are you with?” The young man answered truthfully, stating that he was not affiliated with any gang. The girl left and minutes later returned with several other, male, MS-13 members. They approached the young man and severely beat him, after which, they left the dinner.