8 ms·

Adult men joining gangs just seems so childish. I remember wanting to be in a gang when I was 15 years old but I grew out of it.

alacombe 9y ago
Exactly, this is generally going to happen before 25 years old, when the frontal cortex is not yet fully developed. Which is another pattern: most are below 25 years of age.
- harry8 9y ago
  [citation needed] I can think of as many examples of wanton killers from all ages, genders, races etc. But now I've said that I'm not sure I want to look at those stats.
colechristensen 9y ago
Humans form social groups. If you have a segment of the population that has nowhere to be part of a group, they'll find a place to be part of a group.
shard972 9y ago
Did you grow up in the lower class though? You would never expect someone from the upper class for instance to join a street gang and rare for people from the middle class in general. You might think it is childish, but if it's presented to you as the ticket to success in your otherwise unsuccessfull world, why would it be childish?
- hoodoof 9y ago
  That's a reasonable counterpoint.
- harry8 9y ago
  joining the golf club? Cliques are not unknown in middle class life. We may heap scorn upon them by naming them gangs in conversation. Organisational rules being more subtle does not make an organised group less effective than disorganised individuals. Management "teams" are a thing most of us have to deal with.
debatem1 9y ago
Gangs are fascinatingly effective and persistent social structures. I suspect that they and the three/four man squad form the minimum viable products for defensive and offensive operations, respectively. The conclusion from that is that it can be rational to want to join a gang when in a situation where larger forms of political or military organization are undesirable or ineffective, and particularly when they're suppressed or are active adversaries.
redleggedfrog 9y ago
You forgot political parties. That's the tribalism for the masses.

alacombe 9y ago

Exactly, this is generally going to happen before 25 years old, when the frontal cortex is not yet fully developed. Which is another pattern: most are below 25 years of age.

harry8 9y ago
[citation needed] I can think of as many examples of wanton killers from all ages, genders, races etc. But now I've said that I'm not sure I want to look at those stats.

colechristensen 9y ago

Humans form social groups. If you have a segment of the population that has nowhere to be part of a group, they'll find a place to be part of a group.

shard972 9y ago

Did you grow up in the lower class though? You would never expect someone from the upper class for instance to join a street gang and rare for people from the middle class in general. You might think it is childish, but if it's presented to you as the ticket to success in your otherwise unsuccessfull world, why would it be childish?

hoodoof 9y ago
That's a reasonable counterpoint.
harry8 9y ago
joining the golf club? Cliques are not unknown in middle class life. We may heap scorn upon them by naming them gangs in conversation. Organisational rules being more subtle does not make an organised group less effective than disorganised individuals. Management "teams" are a thing most of us have to deal with.

debatem1 9y ago

Gangs are fascinatingly effective and persistent social structures. I suspect that they and the three/four man squad form the minimum viable products for defensive and offensive operations, respectively. The conclusion from that is that it can be rational to want to join a gang when in a situation where larger forms of political or military organization are undesirable or ineffective, and particularly when they're suppressed or are active adversaries.

redleggedfrog 9y ago

You forgot political parties. That's the tribalism for the masses.