Your posts on class and social standing having effects on kids who then join gangs or extreme groups really opened my eyes and for my bachelor's thesis I've decided to write about that. How social standing, class and mental, emotional support effect people and how they end up in groups with ideologies they don't even agree with through the lenses of Snape and his character. The title is yet to be shaped but I've already told my supervisor and she was so astonished and happy and I told her I saw posts by a lawyer that influenced me greatly!
I was thinking of using Maslow's pyramid of needs to expain how much a person recquired a safe place mentally and physically to grow. And then I'll add conflict theory and such and such to explain that most people do not get that financial stability to actually live their lives and talk about class and such.
Any recommendations on which researcher or theory I could look into to further my study?
Thank you in advanceβ€οΈ
I hope you have a great dayβ€οΈ
Your thesis topic is absolutely fascinating! Itβs such an important issue, not just in terms of youth joining gangs but also in the context of cults, extremist religious groups, and even terrorist organizations. Many of these groups specifically target young people because they believe that fully developed adults are less malleable and, therefore, not as useful. This is a critical point that ties directly into theories of social vulnerability.
I've made a list i used for some of my late essays so i wish it helps to your research!
Bourgois, Philippe. In Search of Respect: Selling Crack in El Barrio (1995) β A sociological study of how class, race, and economic exclusion push young men into drug dealing and street gangs.
Venkatesh, Sudhir. Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets (2008) β Firsthand research on gang life and how poverty influences recruitment.
Zimbardo, Philip. The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil (2007) β Examines how systemic and social conditions lead to radicalization and crime.
Reich, Walter. Origins of Terrorism: Psychologies, Ideologies, Theologies, States of Mind (1998) β Analyzes the social and psychological forces behind extremist recruitment.
Bourdieu, Pierre. Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgment of Taste (1984) β Essential reading on how social class structures people's worldview and choices, including vulnerability to manipulation.
Becker, Howard. Outsiders: Studies in the Sociology of Deviance (1963) β A foundational sociological work on deviance and how marginalized individuals are labeled as outsiders, increasing their risk of radicalization.
Horgan, John. The Psychology of Terrorism (2014) β Explores why people join terrorist organizations and how economic hardship plays a role.
LaFree, Gary. Losing Legitimacy: Street Crime and the Decline of Social Institutions in America (1998) β Examines how failing institutions push people toward crime.
Sageman, Marc. Understanding Terror Networks (2004) β A deep dive into how social networks, rather than ideology alone, drive recruitment into terrorist groups.
Wilkinson, Richard & Pickett, Kate. The Spirit Level: Why More Equal Societies Almost Always Do Better (2009) β Demonstrates how inequality fuels crime and social breakdown.
Klein, Malcolm. The American Street Gang: Its Nature, Prevalence, and Control (1995) β A criminological analysis of gang formation and its links to socioeconomic status.
Silke, Andrew. Terrorism, Risk and the Global City (2003) β A criminology-focused exploration of how social and economic inequality in cities fosters extremism.
Moore, Joan & Vigil, James. A Sociological Perspective on Gangs (1989) β Investigates how gangs provide an alternative social structure for economically disadvantaged youth.
Castells, Manuel. The Power of Identity (2010) β Discusses how globalization and economic disenfranchisement push people into radical identity groups.
Hagedorn, John. A World of Gangs: Armed Young Men and Gangsta Culture (2008) β Connects global economic conditions to the rise of gang violence.
Tilly, Charles. The Politics of Collective Violence (2003) β Examines how economic class influences involvement in violent movements.
Atran, Scott. Talking to the Enemy: Violent Extremism, Sacred Values, and What It Means to Be Human (2010) β Discusses the psychological and social factors driving young people to extremism.
Btw there are some documentaries maybe you would like to watch for the research about the topic:
The Cult Next Door (2017) β A look into a UK cult and its psychological manipulation tactics.
Holy Hell (2016) β Firsthand accounts of a religious cultβs social and financial control over its members.
The Family (2019) β Explores how secret religious-political networks recruit individuals into extremist ideologies.
The Vow (2020) β A documentary on the NXIVM cult, showcasing the role of power and vulnerability in recruitment.
Cartel Land (2015) β Examines the drug war and how poor communities become recruitment grounds for cartels.
The Last Narc (2020) β Investigates the relationship between law enforcement, drug cartels, and socioeconomic power.
City of Ghosts (2017) β Follows Syrian activists documenting the rise of ISIS and the groupβs recruitment strategies.
