Chicago has long served as a symbol of urban pathology in the public
imagination. The city's staggering levels of violence and entrenched
gang culture occupy a central place in the national discourse, yet
remain poorly understood and are often stereotyped. Views from the
Streets explains the dramatic transformation of black street gangs on
Chicago's South Side during the early twenty-first century, shedding new
light on why gang violence persists and what might be done to address
it.
Drawing on years of community work and in-depth interviews with gang
members, Roberto R. Aspholm describes in vivid detail the internal
rebellions that shattered the city's infamous corporate-style African
American street gangs. He explores how, in the wake of these uprisings,
young gang members have radically refashioned gang culture and
organization on Chicago's South Side, rejecting traditional hierarchies
and ideologies and instead embracing a fierce ethos of personal autonomy
that has made contemporary gang violence increasingly spontaneous and
unregulated. In calling attention to the historical context of these
issues and to the elements of resistance embedded in Chicago's
contemporary gang culture, Aspholm challenges conventional views of gang
members as inherently pathological. He critically analyzes highly touted
"universal" violence prevention strategies, depicting street-level
realities to illuminate why they have ultimately failed to reduce levels
of bloodshed. An unprecedented analysis of the nature and meaning of
gang violence, Views from the Streets proposes an alternative
framework for addressing the seemingly intractable issues of inequality,
despair, and violence in Chicago.
