Developing a Sense of Belonging in Street Gangs in Miami

• In Event: 41.084 - Roundtable Session 16
  In Roundtable Session: 41.084-21 - Hip-Hop, Belonging, and Democratic Practice

Abstract

Baumeister and Leary (1995) suggest that belongingness develops when one feels connected to a place or person. Individuals involved in gangs obtain a sense of belonging through their experiences within the street gang context (Ruble & Turner, 2000). This sense of belonging manifests through the connection one feels to their identity. This study explored how the sense of belonging developed for 14 individuals through the context of the street gang. The experiences of being Haitian, Black, and a child of immigrant parents in Miami played a significant role in the belongingness within the street gang subculture in Miami and thus influenced their identity as a member of a street gang.

Author

• Christine A Keaney, Pacific Oaks College