LAP Lambert Academic Publishing Delinquent gangs in context: Towards an ecology of meaning

Gangs exist as metaphors of the societies in which they are embedded; hence the need is great for an ecologically powerful model and a collation of gangs as described by knowledgeable individuals. With so much literature and knowledgeable individuals at hand to provide insight, the rationale is to take this knowledge and create a collation of gangs as it is understood by those who study them and have been confronted with them. The theoretical framework is a social constructionist cybernetic epistemology. One-on-one interviews were conducted with knowledgeable sources and audio-visual material assisted in understanding the context of gangs better. A hermeneutic analysis was used. Interview transcripts were analysed and themed and linked with available literature. These themes were then used to represent a Time Cable of gangs. The researcher hopes that this dissertation will contribute to existing research and will open a pathway for more investigation on this topic.