Chapter21.docx

Chapter 21: The Saints and the Roughnecks (Chambliss) Chambliss describes how the Saints engage in as many or more delinquent acts than the Roughnecks, yet are perceived as ?good boys,? merely engaging in typical adolescent hijinks. The greater social power contained in their higher class background enables the definition of their behavior as socially normative, allowing the police, teachers, community members, and parents to look the other way. On the other hand, Roughnecks, who come from the ?wrong side of the tracks,? are perceived to be troublemakers, rabble-rousers, and delinquents. We see conflict and labeling theories in effect here since social class is the determinant of society?s reactions. Labels are applied based on status, not on patterns of behavior. Saints: 8 promising young men?children of good, stable, white, upper-middleclass families, active in school affairs, good pre-college students?were some of the most delinquent boys at Hanibal HS. Occupied with truancy, drinking, wild driving, petty theft, and vandalism, yet never officially arrested Roughnecks: 6 lower-class white boys. Constantly in trouble with police even though their rate of delinquency was about equal with that of the Saints. Know the difference in actions and repercussions faced by the Saints and Roughnecks. Saints: Played hookey on a regular basis Big Town activities included heavy drinking, driving drunk, acts of vandalism, and playing pranks Playing ?chicken? in the moving vehicle Screwed around in construction sites Vandalized abandoned houses Only twice in 2 years were they stopped by a police Did well in school?B average Cheated on exams frequently Local police saw the Saints as good boys who were among the leaders of the youth in the community None ever received a ticket or was taken into the precinct The police in Big Town did not know the boys at all, although occasionally the boys were stopped by a patrolman. The urban police were convinced that these were good boys just out for fun. Roughnecks: From community?s viewpoint, the real indication that these kids were in for trouble was that they were constantly involved with police. Group liked to fight a lot Petty stealing was a frequent event Unlike Saints, had to borrow their parents? car. Have stolen cars for joy rides from time to time Ron and accomplice tried to rob gas station and was shot by owner High level of distrust and dislike between the group and the police Over the period that the group was under observation, each member was arrested at least once. In school, not particularly disruptive but did try to avoid school as much as possible Teachers and community saw boys as heading for trouble Teachers expressed concern Average gpa of C The most obvious explanation for the differences in the community?s and law enforcement agencies? reactions to the two gangs is that one group of boys was ?more delinquent? than the other. Which group was more delinquent? In sheet number of illegal acts, the Saints were more delinquent The Roughnecks, in contrast, engaged sporadically in delinquent episodes. Saints never fought; Roughnecks were very violent. Know of the community?s role in enforcing deviance. The community?s confidence in the potential of the Saints and the Roughnecks apparently was justified. If anything the community members underestimated the degree to which these youngsters would turn out ?good? or ?bad.? The community responded to the Roughnecks as boys in trouble, and the boys agreed with that perception. Their pattern of deviancy was reinforced, and breaking away from it became unlikely. Once the boys acquired an image of themselves as deviants, they selected new friends who affirmed that self-image. This disrespect increased the community?s negativism, perpetuating the entire process of commitment to deviance. Differences between the Saints and Roughnecks: Visibilty Demeanor Bias Charles Whitebread: The History of the Non-Medical Use of Drugs in the US Wrote a piece called ?The Forbidden Fruit and the Tree of Knowledge?The Legal History of Marijuana in the US? Iron cage of irrationality Most significant drug law