1. Introduction
Gang activity, understood as an obvious sign of youth unrest, which cannot be reconnected to conduct deviant from the social norm, is a symptom of general distress harbored in the bosom of a crisis in order and the social pact. In addition, gang activity is a phenomenon that must be evaluated applying a social-historic and psychosocial perspective in each country. This allows labeling it as a product of prior events as well as national and global imaginaries with which, gang culture remains in continuous relation.
Gang activity is a symptom of structural social conditions manifesting as a consequence of each country’s social-historic constructs it bestows upon itself. Still, it is relevant having in mind that, along with the problems related to a debilitating social pact, in any case, gang activity is linked to the structuring of a social, economic, political, and cultural order, which, according to several authors reflecting on contemporary issues, is based on dominant ideology, authoritarianism, or oppression.
In summary the formation of youth groups labeled as gangs are a symptom signaling two conditions in which a modern society finds itself. On one hand, the unrest these modern societies experience caused by the debilitated social pact, which they find themselves incapable of reconstructing (granted that all promises of emancipation and well being, at the very core of their projects, have vanished). On the other hand, it is a symptom of an example of social order, harbored in the same bosom of modernity under forms of authoritarianism, whose hierarchical structure represents the most apparent example of oppression of this generation we currently live in. A challenge for researchers in this field is to locate the elements in visual history that go beyond “social factors” and make this phenomenon possible.
He or she, who wishes to take on this investigation by immersing themselves in order to decipher the meanings and practices of a phenomenon such as youth gangs, faces the task of showing the elements that construct it into a symptom. For this, the investigator should not begin assuming a position of moral a priori, which makes sense and is feasible, as he or she proposes the existence of a social pact as if arguing that it appears outside of the reality he or she is examining, because in fact, gang members would have already broken it. The moral vision of whoever is investigating would prevent him or her explaining the fact that, opposed to the still dominant idea in youth and violence studies, young gang members not only breach the social order when they are accused of opposing or of open complicity with organized crime, but they are the ones who bear the burden, though not exclusively, of general problems in modern culture (weakening of social order and the crisis that traverses the planning of a new civilizing pact).
Now, we must add to this entire discussion another reality, which is put forth in the title of this congregation: beyond gangs. There are numerous groups of youth resisting representing other political, cultural, social, religious, etc. channels that must be taken into consideration. Who are they?; What do they do?; Where are they?; What is their agenda?; etc. These are some of the questions we’d like to answer.
With these concerns in mind, the international conference Beyond Gangs, Violence, Youths, and Resistances in a Globalized World aims to begin a reflection into the contributions that have been made in this field from a critical stand point. At the same time, we propose to construct a space for exchange beginning with the presentation and discussion around examples of intervention with youth organizations of the street, including, in addition, a comparative review of the judicial frameworks as well as penitentiaries. Finally, the international conference intends on being a space to identify tools for conceptualization and intervention, as well as a methodology, capable of constructing the necessary raw material for the assembling of public policy in the field of youths and violence.
The people participating in the international conference come from the European and American continents and possibly from Asia and Africa as well. Confirmed presenters: Jeff Ferrell, Jock Young, David Brotherton, Louis Kontos y Luis Barrios (John Jay College, New York), José Manuel Valenzuela (Mexico), Miguel Cruz, Amparo Marroquin, Roxana Martel (El Salvador), Alejandro Isla (Argentina), Teresa de Caldeira (Brasil), Roberto Beneduce (Italy), Carlos Mario Perea Restrepo (Colombia), Dina Krauskopf (Chile), Svetlana Stephenson (Russia), Jennifer Fleetwood (United Kingdom), Pablo Gentili (Argentina), Leticia Almeida (Brasil), Cesar Dario Gusiao (Colombia), Lino Castro, E. Antonio de Moya (República Dominicana), Raúl Zarzuri (Chile), Luca Queirolo (Italy)
Outline of implementation
First part:
What theories up to the moment help best explain this phenomenon? How were these theories developed?
Second part:
How has the State, the institutional actors, and social organizations responded to gangs? What has been the result from the perspective of young people?
This discussion will contribute a critical vision of the specific government public policies relating to youths. Central to this dialogue will be how to analyze the experiences of other institutions or social organizations. To realize an analysis of the mentioned experiences from the perspective who implement them like of whom they receive them. The purpose of this second area for axis is to obtain critical and innovative perspectives.
Examples of intervention with youths: critical and innovative visions.
Third part:
The conference will be end with a Plenary Session entitled: “Plans for social and political action and providing the basic tools for redesigning public policy.” This session will serve as a forum for collective dialog between representatives of the State, researchers, social and youth organizations with the goal of providing input for crafting public policies from the comparative analysis, diverse reflections and interventions from both tracks.
