Frederic Thrasher
Frederic Thrasher: Gang and Gang Typologies
Frederic Thrasher was a sociologist at the University of Chicago. He was a colleague of Robert E. Park and was one of the most prominent members of the Chicago School of Sociology in the 1920s. He took a PhD in Chicago on gangs. The Gang, a study of 1313 gangs in Chicago, was published in 1927. It said that “neighborhoods in transition are breeding grounds for gangs.” (Thrasher, 1927) His work on gangs was a series of outstanding doctoral studies completed under Robert E. Park’s direction in the “golden era” of the University of Chicago Sociology Department. His book offers a profound and careful analysis of hundreds of gangs in Chicago in the early part of the twentieth century.
He traced the violent gang cultures back to feudal and medieval power systems and linked tribal ethos in other societies to codes of honor and glory found in American gangs. Thrasher approaches his subject with empathy and insightfulness, and creates a multifaceted and textured portrait that still has much to offer today (Khun, McKlean, & Hayek, 2014). The Gang not only explores an important moment in the history of Chicago but also itself a landmark in the history of sociology and subcultural theory. He believed that gangs were part of the psychological and group processes of adolescence in poor communities. He was a firm believer in Children’s Court as a means to handle the misguided youth and gang delinquency. He defined gangs by the process they go through to form a group.
“The gang is an interstitial group originally formed spontaneously, and then integrated through conflict. It is characterized by the following types of behavior; meeting face to face, smiling, movement through space as a unit, conflict, and planning. The result of this collective behavior is the development of tradition, unreflective internal structure, espirit de corps, solidarity, morale, group awareness, and attachment to a local territory. (Thrasher F. M., 1963)
Frederic Thrasher was a sociologist at the University of Chicago. He was a colleague of Robert E. Park and was one of the most prominent members of the Chicago School of Sociology in the 1920s. He took a PhD in Chicago on gangs. The Gang, a study of 1313 gangs in Chicago, was published in 1927. It said that “neighborhoods in transition are breeding grounds for gangs.” (Thrasher, 1927) His work on gangs was a series of outstanding doctoral studies completed under Robert E. Park’s direction in the “golden era” of the University of Chicago Sociology Department. His book offers a profound and careful analysis of hundreds of gangs in Chicago in the early part of the twentieth century.
He traced the violent gang cultures back to feudal and medieval power systems and linked tribal ethos in other societies to codes of honor and glory found in American gangs. Thrasher approaches his subject with empathy and insightfulness, and creates a multifaceted and textured portrait that still has much to offer today (Khun, McKlean, & Hayek, 2014). The Gang not only explores an important moment in the history of Chicago but also itself a landmark in the history of sociology and subcultural theory. He believed that gangs were part of the psychological and group processes of adolescence in poor communities. He was a firm believer in Children’s Court as a means to handle the misguided youth and gang delinquency. He defined gangs by the process they go through to form a group.
“The gang is an interstitial group originally formed spontaneously, and then integrated through conflict. It is characterized by the following types of behavior; meeting face to face, smiling, movement through space as a unit, conflict, and planning. The result of this collective behavior is the development of tradition, unreflective internal structure, espirit de corps, solidarity, morale, group awareness, and attachment to a local territory. (Thrasher F. M., 1963)
Cited: Cantrell, M. L. (1992). Gang Identifiers and Terminology. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Problems,, 13-14. Khun, T., McKlean, N., & Hayek, F. (2014, November 29). The Univeristy of Chicago Press Books. Retrieved from University of Chicafo Website: http://www.uic.edu/orgs/kbc/Definitions/thrasher.html Miller, W. (1982). Crime by Youth Gangs and Groups in the United States. Washington DC: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of JusticePrograms, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. O 'Deane, M. D. (2010). Gangs: Theory, Practice and Research. San Diego. Thrasher, F. (1927). Gang: A study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Thrasher, F. M. (1963). The Gang: A Study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago. In F. M. Thrasher, The Gang: A Study of 1,313 Gangs in Chicago (p. 46). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.