What is the book a gang leader for a day about?
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets is a memoir written by Sudhir Venkatesh. The book chronicles the life of the urban poor and explores Venkatesh's views on poverty, money, gangs, drugs, and life in Chicago.
What did JT notice when he observed the gang?
At the same time, he notices the softer part of life, the hope and connection they have with their fellow gang members, and the Mom’s role in their lives. One day, after observing the job the gang leader did, JT, he was permitted to try being the gang leader for a day.
What was Sudhir's experience with being a gang leader like?
He experienced the hard decisions a gang leader must make, quite like the job of a CEO, having meetings, and keeping the gang-members in line. Sudhir was surprised when he realized how similar the structure of a gang was to a regular American business.
How did the gangs influence the election in Chicago?
The gang felt that it provided its tenants "safety," and "employment." They also conducted "community outreach," by going door-to-door and encouraging people to register to vote (once they were signed up, the gang told them who they were to vote for. The Chicago political machine is alive and well, even in the 'hood).
Is Gang Leader for a Day a true story?
Adapted from Sudhir Venkatesh's book "Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets". Based on a true story.
Why did Sudhir Venkatesh write Gang Leader for a Day?
Sudhir Venkatesh Becomes 'Gang Leader for a Day' : NPR. Sudhir Venkatesh Becomes 'Gang Leader for a Day' After infiltrating one of Chicago's most notorious gangs, sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh stayed for seven years, getting to know the dealers and pimps. His new book gives an insider's view of gang culture.
What genre is Gang Leader for a Day?
BiographyGang Leader for a Day / GenreA biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Wikipedia
Who is JT Gang Leader for a Day?
Sudhir's primary research subject, JT is a mid-level manager of the Black Kings, one of the larger, predominantly African-American gangs in Chicago in the 1980s and '90s.
What type of research did Sudhir Venkatesh do?
Researcher Studies Gangs by Leading One For seven years, sociologist Sudhir Venkatesh lived in one of Chicago's worst housing projects. His research and insights into one of the country's most violent gangs is captured in Gang Leader for a Day.
What did Sudhir Venkatesh?
Venkatesh is the author of the book, Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes To The Streets, published by Penguin Press in 2008....Sudhir VenkateshEducationUniversity of California, San Diego (BA) University of Chicago (PhD)Known forUrban ethnographyScientific careerFieldsSociology, social economics6 more rows
Why do drug dealers still live with their moms answer?
In this chapter of the novel, the authors explore why many drug dealers still live with their parents despite their dangerous occupations and the risks involved. The answer is simple, because drug dealing isn't a job that has a lot of monetary and personal benefits.
What did Venkatesh study?
Venkatesh (actor)VenkateshAlma materLoyola College, Chennai Monterey Institute of International Studies (MBA)OccupationActorYears active1986–presentSpouse(s)Neeraja ( m. 1985)7 more rows
What did Venkatesh find?
In a slightly different way Venkatesh found his physical access to various parts of the huge and sprawling Robert Taylor Homes was actually restricted by his association with the Black Kings – his “known association” with this gang made it dangerous for him to venture “unaccompanied” into areas where rival gangs ...
How does it feel to be poor and black?
Prevalence. Black and African American people living below poverty are twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than those living over 2x the poverty level. Adult Blacks and African Americans are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than adult whites.
What was the aim of Venkateshs study?
In 1989 Sudhir Venkatesh, a graduate student at the University of Chicago, entered the Lake Park housing project armed only with a questionnaire and a desire to learn more about the lives of the people who lived in “The Projects” (the general name given to Public Housing provision across the USA).
What did Venkatesh study?
Venkatesh (actor)VenkateshAlma materLoyola College, Chennai Monterey Institute of International Studies (MBA)OccupationActorYears active1986–presentSpouse(s)Neeraja ( m. 1985)7 more rows
How does it feel to be poor and black?
Prevalence. Black and African American people living below poverty are twice as likely to report serious psychological distress than those living over 2x the poverty level. Adult Blacks and African Americans are more likely to have feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and worthlessness than adult whites.
What is the historical context of Gang Leader for a Day?
Historical Context of Gang Leader for a Day. Venkatesh begins his research at the very end of the 1980s, when , as he describes, American society was changing dramatically.
What is Gang Leader for a Day about?
Venkatesh’s academic struggles as a doctoral student, his budding research, and his attempts to reconcile the demands of that research with other aspects of his life make up the plot of Gang Leader for a Day, a memoir that accompanies his dissertation on urban poverty and off-the-books economies. Venkatesh was, until recently, a tenured professor ...
Who is the gang leader for a day?
Gang Leader for a Day Summary. Sudhir Venkatesh, a graduate student in sociology at the University of Chicago, begins Gang Leader for a Day by describing a crack den in a project on the South Side of that city. Sudhir says he is not there to do drugs, but to observe people as they buy them, do them, and sell them.
Does JT have the power to be a gang leader?
But JT no longer has the power being a gang leader afforded him, as the money supporting the gang has largely dried up. Nevertheless, JT and Sudhir remain ...
Who wrote Gang Leader for a day?
Introduction. “Gang Leader For A Day” written by Sudhir Venkatesh, is based on real life events witnessed by Venkatesh during his research project at the University of Chicago.
Who was Venkatesh's gang leader?
On his journey Venkatesh befriended a gang leader named J.T. at the Robert Taylor Homes and started working with him. Upon their first meeting J.T. had advised Venkatesh to avoid asking direct question with gang members and told him to spend some time with them.
What does Venkatesh write about?
We see that Venkatesh explains us about the lifestyle of different gangs and poor people living in Chicago. He has written about their daily routines and described their reasons for being here. Besides this, Sudhir has blamed the capitalist system and accused the police for its negligence and lack of responsibility. We might find his method of research a bit contradictory and immoral but I believe that it does not actually matter and that he has provided us with valuable information.
