Violence in America, Annotated Bibliography Example

Pacheo, H. “Gangs 101 Understanding the Culture of Youth Violence” Esperanza project. 2010. Print.

The author of the above study examines the cultural aspects of youth violence in America. The main finding of the research is that gangs form in urban environment because young people need three things: respect, reputation and retaliation. Violence is a form of emotional gratification and a part of the initiation process. Members can prove themselves worthy of belonging to the group and gain respect through taking part in violent activities. Further, young people are provided with a way of acting out their aggressions and frustrations. The communal element of gang violence has been noted by the study, and the author focuses on individuals’ motivation for joining a violent group, which, in turn, results in an overall increase of violence in the society.

Karandinos, G., Hart, L., Castrillo, F., and Bourgois, P. “The moral           economy of violence in the US inner city” Current Anthropology, Vol. 55, No. 1 (February 2014), pp. 1-22. 2014. Print.

The authors also examine the reasons for the spread of violence in inner cities, however, they take another approach: anthropology. The essay examines the impact of social and economic changes on society’s moral and ethical beliefs, attitudes on crime levels. The role of poverty is examined, as well as social and lifestyle changes in the “deindustrialized” environment of the inner city. Transgressed economies create an environment where crime can spread, as people find no other means of making a living. Violent crimes are also a result of the marginalization of minority groups, the lack of personal contact and the breakdown of communities that used to be able to determine and communicate norms.