Gangs, Gender and Drug Sales: A Qualitative Study

描述（由申请人提供）：这个为期42个月的定性研究项目的目的是探讨当代弗朗西斯科青年帮派之间的性别，毒品销售和帮派组织之间的关系。具体来说，我们将探讨如何结构特征，如帮派组成，以及关系过程，如互动和看法，影响帮派和毒品销售的性别性质。通过强调关系过程以及结构特征，我们将能够研究男性和女性成员在帮派组织中如何谈判地位，角色和关系作为毒品销售商。此外，我们还将研究与男性和女性销售相关的不同风险和结果。我们将重点研究以下三个问题：1.帮派成员的社会人口特征和社会环境在哪些方面促成了帮派组织和毒品销售的性别性质？2.贩毒和帮派组织的结构和关系要素是什么？3.按性别划分的帮派组织和毒品交易对男女帮派成员的经济、社会和个人资本有何不同影响？我们计划找到并采访270名贩毒团伙成员，年龄在14至25岁之间，来自不同种族背景和不同类型的帮派组织，包括单一性别帮派（全男性或全女性）、混合性别帮派和结社帮派样本将被分为男女人数相等的受访者和三个主要种族群体（非裔美国人，亚洲/太平洋岛民和拉丁美洲人）。我们将主要使用定性方法，包括关键信息提供者和深入访谈，访谈将包括一份结构化问卷，以收集社会人口统计和关键定量数据，以及一份开放式、相对非结构化的时间表，以提供详细、深入和丰富的叙述性信息。对数据的分析将包括适用于所收集的各类数据的混合方法。该项目之所以重要，有三个原因：（1）它将提供急需的关于帮派中毒品销售的性别组成和性别参与的经验数据;（2）它将提供关于帮派中突出毒品销售中性别关系的社会文化进程的信息;（3）它将为预防工作者和执法官员提供重要信息，以设计通过合法就业机会销售毒品的替代办法，制定有效的、与文化和性别相关的教育和干预战略，打击吸毒和贩毒行为。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The aim of this 42 month qualitative research project is to explore the contemporary relationship between gender, drug sales and gang organization among youth gangs in San Francisco. Specifically we will explore how both structural characteristics, such as gang composition, as well as relational processes, such as interactions and perceptions, influence the gendered nature of gangs and drug sales. By emphasizing the relational processes as well as the structural characteristics, we will be able to examine how male and female members operating within gang organizations negotiate status, roles, and relationships as drug sellers. In addition, we will investigate the differential risks and outcomes associated with selling for both men and women. We will focus on the following three research questions: 1. In what ways do the socio- demographic characteristics and social environment of gang members contribute to the gendered nature of gang organizations and drug selling? 2. What are the structural and relational elements of drug selling and gang organization? 3. How does the gendered organization of gangs and drug dealing differentially impact female and male gang members' economic, social and personal capital? We plan to locate and interview 270 gang members who are drug sellers, between the ages of 14 and 25, from different ethnic backgrounds and from different types of gang organizations including single gender gangs (all males or all females), mixed gender gangs, and associational gangs The sample will be divided into equal numbers of male and female respondents and into three primary ethnic groups (African American, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Latino). We will use primarily qualitative methods, including key-informant and in- depth interviewing, and interviews will include a structured questionnaire to gather socio-demographic and key quantitative data, and an open-ended, relatively unstructured schedule to provide detailed, in-depth, and rich narrative information. Analysis of the data will consist of mixed methods appropriate to the various types of data collected. This project is important for three reasons: 1) It will provide much needed empirical data on gender composition and gender participation in drug selling in the gang; 2) It will provide information on the socio- cultural processes within the gang that highlight gender relationships in the context of drug sales; 3) It will provide important information for prevention practitioners and law enforcement officials for designing alternatives to drug sales through legitimate employment opportunities, and to develop effective, culturally and gender relevant educational and intervention strategies against drug use and drug sales.