Gang

[[File:Gangcolors.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Two particularly virulent gang members rocking their colors.]]
{{sociology}}
A '''gang''', in the popular usage, is a group of people formed around a common identity. Members of these gangs usually assume an adversarial stance towards [[society]], or at least some other group.  More generally, the term used to refer to any group such as a work gang, now uncommon since the term has assumed negative connotations. The usage today is often in the context of [[moral panic]]s about [[crime]], [[drug]]s, "outlaw" gangs, and kids wearing baggy pants and their hats backwards at the mall.

The general consensus for the definition of a gang is that:<ref name=shelden>[http://www.cjcj.org/news/5418 Is Wall Street a gang?] by Randall Shelden (October 25, 2011) ''Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice''.</ref>
*It has three or more members, generally aged 12-24.
*Members share an identity, typically linked to a name, and often other symbols.
*Members view themselves as a gang, and they are recognized by others as a gang.
*The group has some permanence and a degree of organization.
*The group is involved in an elevated level of criminal activity. 

==Gang culture==
{{More sources}}
'''Gang culture''' is a term used mostly by the [[media]] when referring to rising levels of violence and urban crime. Although the criminals may not be part of formal gangs, the term is a catch-all one and often cited as a "cause" of increased violent crime, often used synonymously with terms such as "[[gun]] culture" or "knife culture" in reference to the rising incidences of these weapons being used. Blame is often placed on [[Hip-hop|rap music]], dance music, [[Heavy metal|heavy metal]] or [[punk|any other form of music]] that middle-aged, [[Right wing bastards|right-wing newspaper columnists]] don't understand.  The music is usually imported from [[United States|America]], although the trans-Atlantic crossing has worked the other way at times. Inner-city gangs tend to have ''exceptionally'' macho names like "The Burger Bar Boys" or "The East Side Playpark Massiiiifffff".

<i>Gang banger</i> is an American term used in connection with gang culture — the use of which causes no end of amusement among the [[British]].<ref group=note>Don't try to look this up at work, unless you work in a brothel or the Netherlands.</ref>

==Purported gangs==
*[[Lesbian Gang Epidemic|Lesbians]]
*Outlaw or "1%er" motorcycle clubs, though four major clubs have been designated as actual criminal gangs: the Hells Angels, the Pagans, the Outlaws, and the Bandidos<ref>[http://pdba.georgetown.edu/Security/citizensecurity/eeuu/documents/ssgu00.pdf Safe Street Violent Crime Initiative Report] (2000) FBI</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090325112225/http://www.cisc.gc.ca/annual_reports/annual_report_2004/document/cisc_2004_annual_report.pdf 2004 Annual Report, Organized Crime in Canada] (2004) Criminal Intelligence Service Canada</ref>
*Kids wearing baggy pants and their hats backwards at the mall
*
[[Occupy Wall Street]]
 Wall Street<ref name=shelden/>
*[[Straight edge]], at least according to the Salt Lake City police<ref>[http://articles.latimes.com/1998/jan/29/news/mn-13171 The Twisted World of a 'Straight Edge' Gang] by Louis Sahagun (January 29, 1998) ''Los Angeles Times''.</ref>
*[[Westboro Baptist Church]]<ref>[https://www.barstoolsports.com/philadelphia/the-greatest-gang-fight-ever-featured-the-kkk-blm-the-westboro-baptist-church-and-urine The Greatest Gang Fight Ever Featured The KKK, BLM, The Westboro Baptist Church And Urine] by Jordie (7/20/2016 11:10 AM) ''Barstool Sports''.</ref>

==Actual gangs==
*The [[Charles Manson|Manson]] Family
*The [[Church of Scientology]]
*The [[Nazism|National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)]] (defunct)
*[[Rochdale sex trafficking gang]]
*Urban street gangs: {{wpl|Crips||,}} {{wpl|Bloods||,}} etc.
*Various gangs involved in [[organized crime]], such as [[La Familia Michoacana]]

==Notes==
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==References==
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[[Category:Crime]]
[[Category:Jargon]]
[[Category:Media hysteria]]
[[Category:Moral panics]]
[[Category:Sociology]]

Categories: Crime, Jargon, Media hysteria, Moral panics, Sociology