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The podcast discusses the sociological analysis of the movie "Boys in the Hood" and focuses on the issue of gangs and their impact on individuals and communities. It mentions that low-income communities with limited opportunities for education and work are more susceptible to gang involvement. Gangs provide quick cash, protection, and a sense of belonging. The functionalist perspective suggests that gangs serve a function in society. The conflict theory highlights the inequalities and circumstances that push individuals towards crime. The interactionism theory emphasizes how gangs shape behavior and social order. While gangs can provide a sense of identity and belonging, they also lead to negative consequences such as incarceration, drug use, and violence. Gang membership has adverse effects on mental health and overall well-being. The film serves as a reflection of social issues and encourages society to improve for the better. Hello everybody and welcome back again. This week we have our final short bit before our sociological analysis of Boys in the Hood all comes together. As you know, we have touched on a few of the social issues present in this movie, but we are going to focus more closely on the gangs and the activities that they partake in. According to the FBI, there are about 33,000 violent street gangs, motorcycle gangs, and prison gangs criminally active in the U.S. today. When I visited friends in Albany, New York and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, they tell me stories, and sometimes I see it for myself, of these teenagers performing their initiation tasks for gangs. One of these instances occurred not long after I chose to take a closer look at Boys in the Hood, and as I watched out the window at what was happening, the wheels in my head started to turn about the effects and consequences of gangs for the individuals in them and the communities they reside in. Many social factors play a role, large or small, which keep gangs alive in our society, but one of the main causal factors is living in a low-income community where opportunities for education and work are scarce, and mental health risks for children especially are higher. Gangs, although high in risk, can provide a quick flow of cash, which can be appealing to those struggling financially and satisfy social and emotional needs as well. Shelter and food are basic necessities of life, and whether you are too young to work, cannot find work, or are not attracted to the minimum wage and long hours, gangs can provide that lucrative cash flow through criminal activity. In addition to money, gangs can give members a feeling of protection by providing them with weapons and a sense of safety in numbers, or a sense that they have people who will fight with them if needed. By satisfying these needs of an individual and not working towards bettering the communities where gang activity is high, we will only continue to see tragic and unnecessary deaths like those in Boys in the Hood. There are many theories and perspectives that could help us better examine this film, but we will be focusing on three specific ones for our podcast. First, we're going to take a look at the functionalist perspective. I find this one to be very interesting as, in a sense, it supports gangs in our society since they serve a function. The community in our film has functioned in a volatile manner for a long time, and it's often difficult for young members to not fall into the cycle. When stepping back and looking at the pros and cons, many are influenced by the money and protection that come from gangs. Individuals are using gangs as a source of income to meet their needs of food and shelter. If they needed alcohol or a gun, there was a store to grab one on almost every block. However, opportunities to improve the area or grow outside of it were limited. There is also that sense of protection we spoke about before, not only from the other members having your back, but also easier access to weapons. Even though Ricky is not a member of his brother's gang, his brother and those they were with were ready to back him up. This theory best showcases the connection between our issue and the factors that cause it. As we touched on earlier, everyone needs these basic necessities to live, and not everyone has access to them. By joining a gang, you are given the opportunity to earn money and a family that will protect you. A fundamental and commonly taught theory was introduced by Karl Marx as the conflict theory. For Marx, conflict inevitably arises out of the inequalities generated by the means of production within a given historical period. This is demonstrated majorly in the setting of the film, South Central LA. As Furies explains when he brought Trey and Ricky to the billboard for buying and selling homes, the differences between South Central and Beverly Hills and the circumstances that often force young black men to go down the path of crime and drugs. Not even released a year before, the TV show Beverly Hills, 90210, showcased kids of the same age, yet having vastly different high school experiences. The kids in high school and boys in the hood are struggling to break out of the circumstances they are in, like Ricky, for example. Even if his SAT score is not at least a 700, he was also debating the military. Doughboy, on the other hand, has more just accepted the path laid out in front of him. Based on childhood actions, stereotypes, and the struggle to direct your path out of South Central LA. Another crucial tie-in to our film and conflict theory is when members of subordinate segments of society become aware of their true interests in redistributing resources, and thereby reducing inequality, they'll begin to question the legitimacy of the system. This is clearly represented by Ice Cube's character, Doughboy. Following his seeking justice and revenge for his brother's death, he went to see Trey. He was speaking about the news coverage he saw that morning and how it made him pause. It was at this moment he said one of the most iconic and impactful lines of the movie, in my opinion. He said, Conflict theory applies so well because of this major struggle in our society between the rich and poor, and the inequalities that are reinforced in the makeup and treatment of the city. The opportunities are far scarcer in South Central than in a city like Beverly Hills, and people's focus is not on the issues happening in their backyard. Following the death of his brother, I think Doughboy truly saw how the odds and resources were stacked against them all. The last theory that we are going to discuss is interactionism, and specifically the works of Alfred Schutz. He stated that all individuals carry in their minds rules, social recipes, concepts of appropriate conduct, and other information that allows them to act in their social world. As demonstrated in the film, the policing was not truly up to the police, and the pecking order of authority and guidelines for the society are vastly different from a community without gangs present. We saw this early on when Trey was still young and someone broke into Fierce's home in the middle of the night. They proceeded to wait an hour for the police to show up, incredibly nonchalant and with food, just to be told it was a shame he did not kill the man and it would have been better to have another black man off the streets. The cops are deciding who and what is important to them and worth their time, in a sense delegating the authority over handling certain crimes and they are not being checked. Not only was enforcing order and consequences up to civilian citizens in many cases, but a lot of general behavior and how one conducts themselves is dictated by the gang culture as well. There can also be negative consequences for people making simple mistakes. For example, the entire feud between the boys in Fierce and his gang started with Ricky mistakenly wearing a blue jacket with a C that identified him as the rival gang and calling him out for bumping into him. By not following what would have been seen as appropriate conduct, considering he was not actually affiliated and wearing the jacket, he stood out. Then, by standing up for himself and Doughboy stepping in, set into motion a series of actions and decisions that would lead to both of their deaths and others. I think this theory is important to consider because of how different communities can be in their social makeup. There are so many different varying cultures and so many different variations of these social recipes. So many people all over the globe live in a spectrum of realities. Doughboy is a prime example once again as he absorbed and embraced the society and its guidelines that surrounded him. Before we wrap things up today, it is crucial that we not only reexamine the viewpoint that we have discussed, but the opposing one as well. While there is not much to be found in terms of positives of gang violence and activity, much research has been done concerning the sense of identity and belonging that gangs can provide. Being affiliated with a gang does not instantly make you a bad person. Often children become involved with gangs for their self-esteem and a need and want to be loved. Gangs can often provide a sense of belonging to those involved. This could be for a multitude of reasons. Whether your family or home life is dire or they are seeking popularity and a need to fit in, a child or teenager's mind can be easily swayed. Although gang involvement leads to many negative outcomes, such as incarceration, drug and alcohol use, injury, and death, gangs may also serve as a productive influence on those who join them. When living in certain environments like South Central, that can be a large appeal to the individuals in the community. As we know with Ricky and Trey, it is easy to get involved in the activity, even if you are not directly affiliated yourself. To young teens who are intimidated, whether by the environment around them or individuals at school, they can find themselves turning to gangs for safety and protection. This ties in beautifully with the functionalist theory that we discussed a bit earlier on. With the risk and harm that can come from gangs, they can also provide certain comforts quickly. Gangs can satisfy some of an individual's basic needs, such as companionship, protection, and money to eat and have a basic level of security. Therefore, gangs serve as a functional part of society. However, at the end of the day, gangs are still a social concern in our society, and not only can they negatively affect those involved in them, but the communities and those who reside in them as well. Gang membership has proximal adverse consequences during adolescence that in turn lead to significant social and economic costs. Not only can other people get caught in the crossfires literally and get harmed or killed, but also emotionally and financially. The journal and their research also highlights the different outcomes for current gang members. Compared to those not affiliated, they are much more likely than other non-gang peers to engage in criminal behavior, especially serious and violent offending. In addition, they are more likely to be involved in drug use and selling, have more difficulty in school, and are more likely to be violently victimized. Their mental health is at risk as well. It was found that those who joined in adolescence were almost two times more likely to report poor health at age 27, 30, or 33 years than those who had never joined a gang. They were also nearly three times more likely to meet the criteria for drug abuse or dependence in the preceding year. I believe that this shows risks far away the benefits, and joining a gang is like a Band-Aid on a cut that needs stitches. It's just a temporary fix that could actually lead to a much more dire situation. Gangs were obviously a central focus of Boys in the Hood. What makes it so critical to sociology is how it displays so many different theories, perspectives, and social issues in our society, some that are even still applicable over 30 years later today. For example, we just talked about two different perspectives that see gangs in different lights, one that understands the path Doughboy took and another that sees the bigger picture of the power struggle going on and risks to members' long-term mental and physical health. It can be seen clearly in the scene where Furious explains gentrification. As he points out the differences between South Central and Beverly Hills and the desperation of turning to drug dealing, you can start to see the butterfly effect that occurs are left in the dust or even set up to fail. The importance of support and responsibility in the household that Furious showcases numerous times throughout the movie, I believe ties into the mental health of those at risk to join gangs. In fact, he foreshadows Doughboy and Ricky's fate when having one of these discussions about support and responsibility with a young Trey. Overall, this film provides us with the opportunity to absorb important societal and life lessons and should encourage us as a society to try to improve it for all those who are in it. We have finally come to a close on our discussion surrounding Boys in the Hood and the plethora of vital lessons that can be taken from it. Thank you so much for listening and we'll be back next week with a new topic. Have a great day, everyone.