Gangs, music and the mediatisation of crime: expressions, violations and validations

Purpose The way in which criminologists understand, contextualise and theorise around the mediatised world has raised some critical new questions. The purpose of this paper is to report on qualitative research which looks at the ways in which some forms of social media are utilised by gang members. Gang research in the main is predicated on the notion that gangs are deviant products of social disorganisation; however, there is little written on the “specific” forms of expression used by those associated with gangs. Design/methodology/approach The lyrical content of three music videos has been analysed using narrative analysis. Findings Music videos have been used as a form of expression for decades. More recently in some cases they have been used as a tool to send threats, promote gang culture and flaunt illegal substances, which is fairly a new concept, in the UK at least. Social media and music videos are not the sole reason why there has been a rise in violence amongst young people; however, this paper aims to further explore some of these notions. Originality/value The authors suggest that this form of expression presents challenges in the understanding of gang activity in a mediatised world. The intention is not to further criminalise young people, but to seek understanding and explore the phenomenon of music videos and its position their gang research.

The neighbourhood context of crime against international students

Stark differences exist between the support and accommodation provision for tertiary students across the UK, the US and Australia. Within this framework, this study provides insights into the neighbourhood contexts where offences against Indian international students took place in the western suburbs of Melbourne. Shaped by ideas associated with social disorganisation and resource threat theories, we suggest that the concentration of large numbers of international students without adequate supports in areas characterised by high levels of disadvantage, ethnic diversity and high levels of crime contributed to the victimisation of international students. The study aims to help better understand how the neighbourhood context influences hate crime more broadly and specifically examines the neighbourhood context of international student victimisation. The study is designed to provide a nuanced understanding of the circumstances leading to attacks against international students and contributes to the international student safety and hate crime victimisation literature.

14. Sociological positivism

This chapter examines whether crime can be explained from a sociological perspective. Many sociological theories are positivist and argue that the behaviour of each individual is, to an extent, predetermined. This means that offenders are at least partially (often almost wholly) directed by forces outside the control of the individual. What sociological theorists generally suggest is that particular social or societal changes or factors may influence criminal behaviour. This chapter first describes three distinct types of sociological theories: social intervention or social process theories, social structural theories, and social conflict theories. It then considers key concepts in sociology, including socialisation, and the contribution of the Chicago school to the study of criminology, with particular emphasis on its social disorganisation theory. It also looks at the basic concepts of anomie, strain, subculture, and social learning in relation to crime and/or delinquency.