Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Street Gangs

Description

This edited collection offers in-depth essays on outlaw motorcycle clubs and street gangs. Written by sociologists, anthropologists and criminologists, it asks the question of how the self-proclaimed ‘outlaws’ integrate into society. While these groups may cultivate a deviant image, these original studies show that we should not let ourselves be deceived by appearances. These ‘outlaws’ are, paradoxically, well integrated into mainstream society. The essays read the relationship of these groups to the media, law enforcement and society through the lens of their strategies of ‘scheming legality’ and ‘resisting criminalization’. These reveal most strikingly how the knowledge of social codes, norms and mechanisms is put to use by these groups. This groundbreaking volume provides answers to previously understudied questions through well-researched case studies drawn from across Europe and United States. With wide-reaching implications for communities around the world, this exciting collection of essays will be of great interest to academics and governmental institutions as well as students and general readers of anthropology, sociology and criminology. Front Matter ....Pages i-xii Introduction: Scheming Legality and Resisting Criminalization (Tereza Kuldova)....Pages 1-23 Gangs, Culture, and Society in the United States (Martín Sánchez-Jankowski)....Pages 25-43 Legalization by Commodification: The (Ir)relevance of Fashion Styles and Brands in Street Gangster Performance (Elke Van Hellemont)....Pages 45-68 Dutch Gang Talk: A Reflection on the Use of the Gang Label in the Netherlands (Robert A. Roks, Teun Van Ruitenburg)....Pages 69-91 From Bikers to Gangsters: On the Development of and the Public Response to Outlaw Biker Clubs in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium (Kim Geurtjens, Hans Nelen, Miet Vanderhallen)....Pages 93-121 Men with a Hobby: Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs, News Media and Image Politics (Willem Koetsenruijter, Peter Burger)....Pages 123-144 Outlaw Motorcycle Clubs and Struggles over Legitimation (Tereza Kuldova, James Quinn)....Pages 145-173 Outlaw Bikers Between Identity Politics and Civil Rights (Tereza Kuldova)....Pages 175-203 Inside the Brotherhood: Some Theoretical Aspects of Group Dynamics in Biker Clubs (Stig Grundvall)....Pages 205-223 Back Matter ....Pages 225-234