Abstract
This paper presents findings of a pilot project that supports a semiotic notion as a framework for understanding the lure of gangs among young people. The notion is called the Symbolic Power Effect (SPE), indicating that signs and symbols are powerful shapers of identity and, thus, major sources of attraction in gang membership. The project consists of three interviews of adolescents living in two Canadian cities that, when tabulated, show the force of the SPE in determining gang membership. Overall, we argue that semiotics is an effective tool in understanding behavior of this kind and thus should be used more in the relevant research on gangs.
About the authors
Sophia Chadwick (b. 1988) is a master's student at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests include semiotics, social anthropology, and human biology.
Marcel Danesi (b. 1946) is a professor at the University of Toronto and editor-in-chief of Semiotica. His research interests include metaphor and semiotic theory. His major publications include The puzzle instinct: The meaning of puzzles in human life (2002); Brands (2006); The quest for meaning: A guide to semiotic theory and practice (2007); and Popular culture: Introductory perspectives (2007).
Jeffrey Fuhr (b. 1947) is an associate professor at the University of Victoria and a staff psychologist with the government of British Columbia. His research interests include violence prediction, resurrection of empathy, and treatment outcome research.
©2014 by Walter de Gruyter Berlin/Boston
