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.