Gangs: the new tribes - Unit 5

C2 Proficiency · Gapped Text · Close-up C2, National Geographic Learning

You are going to read an extract from a magazine article. Seven paragraphs have been removed from the extract. Choose from the paragraphs A – H the one which fits each gap (1–7). There is one extra paragraph which you do not need to use.

Gangs: the new tribes

Success, however, can be measured in a myriad of ways, and for those without traditional role models, gang culture becomes increasingly alluring as a way to make something of themselves. 'They're not inherently bad kids,' says Marcus, 'they just have no direction and no one to look up to. Were they to attach value to work and education, their whole outlook on life would change and they wouldn't need what gang membership provides.'

Though there is no conclusive evidence, many critics of popular media believe exposure to violent films and song lyrics, particularly rap music, has a negative influence; glamorising gang life and encouraging at-risk youths to join gangs or to participate in gang-related crime as a means of gaining a sense of belonging and empowerment.

Those who do join a gang inevitably end up in a downward spiral, losing any moral foundation they had and hurtling headlong into a life of violence and crime. And yet, even when they are placed in juvenile detention centres, or worse – in adult prisons – some maintain their allegiance to the gang and look upon their membership as a badge of honour; a mark of success, not failure.

Thick and fast came the replies. 'Teacher,' said a bespectacled girl in the front row. Mrs Marcus smiled to herself. The prospective teachers always sat as close as possible to the board, eager and serious. 'Football player!' shouted a tall lad from the back, raising his arms in victory as though he'd just scored a winning goal against Argentina at the World Cup. Mrs Marcus knew he'd be a live wire in class. 'Prime minister,' said another, garnering a round of applause as well as ridicule from his classmates.

How has it come to this? A recent report has found that children in some areas of the country have so little contact with working people that the concept of employment is almost foreign. They live in the so-called 'welfare ghettos' where more than half of the working-age population depends on out-of-work benefits. In many families, unemployment is intergenerational with grandparents and parents living on the dole.

Thankfully, in many cases the lure is temporary. It becomes nothing more than a phase that plays to their fantasies of rebellion and desire for high drama, in part fueled by pop culture through music and films that glamorise thug life. In time, these wannabe gangsters find other interests and reject the values of the gang.

Fast forward twenty years and Mrs Margaret Marcus is now teaching at an inner-city school in a large metropolis. Hoping to get some insight from this forty-year veteran of the education system, I'm interviewing her about the challenges faced by young people today. 'So you became a journalist instead of a teacher,' she says with a twinkle in her eye. 'Yes, I was that child in the specs long ago. Before getting down to business, we reminisce for a few moments about my classmates.

There are many organisations that are working positively with young people in gangs, both inside and outside of detention, and helping them through some very difficult times in their lives. With this help they can stop their slide into crime and violence, and make the tough transition of evolving into productive, responsible and law abiding members of society.

'What do you want to be when you grow up?' a class of fresh-faced 12-year-olds were asked upon commencing secondary school. Their new English teacher – Mrs Marcus – asked this question every year and it seemed to fire the imagination of every child. Usually there was a smattering of professions, vocations and trades, along with some interesting surprises. This lot did not disappoint.

It turns out they were a highly varied lot: doctor, nurse, lawyer, judge, electrician, archaeologist, businesswoman, vet, police officer, hairdresser, actor, shop assistant. There was trouble containing their enthusiasm, with some throwing out more than one idea. A few had non-specific ambitions, 'I don't know, I want to travel,' and 'I just want to go to university.' All of them had opinions, some stronger than others, but opinions nonetheless.

I'm particularly interested in the differences between that generation and the current one. 'Hopes and dreams,' she replies immediately. 'Whether your classmates achieved those things or not is irrelevant. The important thing is you had ideas about your future; you had aspirations. When I have asked that question in recent years, instead of setting their sights on becoming a scientist, a lawyer or an artist, the best some children could think of was going on the dole, being famous, or being the boss of a gang,' she says.

It is a vicious circle that becomes increasingly difficult to break. It was crucial for my peers and I that we knew people who worked and we could make decisions about our ambitions based on some knowledge. We had the benefit of seeing our parents, relatives and neighbours going to work, returning from work, talking about their jobs, or their time at university. These experiences informed our ideas, ambitions and, let's face it, our expectations, too. We wouldn't have dreamt of the alternative. After all, work and study were our means to get ahead and make our way in life.

This lies at the very core of a gang's appeal. The aimlessness of some youths' experience is replaced by the rigid system of rules, rituals, and codes of behaviour that members follow, and which gives them a purpose and adds much-needed structure to their lives. In many cases, the gang becomes a surrogate family, providing security, camaraderie and a sense of belonging. These powerful inducements exert a strange power over vulnerable teenagers.

I ask Margaret what it is that can drive such a change. 'I've known many young boys who have turned over a new leaf,' she says. 'The key is intervention at the grassroots level. Community programmes that keep kids off the streets and involve them in pro-social activities are great deterrents. Strong after-school programmes that meet children's needs for supervision are also successful in reducing attraction to gang-related activities. These cost money, though, and authorities are often not willing to spend,' she explains, 'and sadly, some kids fall through the cracks.'

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