Bo Tsotsi - The Youth Gangs of Soweto, 1935-1976 (Hardcover)

Crime and the closely-related issues of youth culture and unemployment, are among the most important social concerns facing post-apartheid leadership in South Africa. This is a textured social history of African youth gangs in the Johannesburg/Soweto area from the emergence of a "juvenile delinquency crisis" in the 1930s through to the student-led uprising of 1976. The gang subculture emerged in a context of social deprivation and stunted mobility. Young urban men, out of school and unemployed, coalesced into gangs to create a world with its own rules, style and status structures. Drawing on powerful street and neighbourhood identities, gangs provided young males with companionship, a sense of security, and dignity. The book also depicts the relationship between political organizations and gang constituencies. Gangs were extremely difficult to mobilize on a formal level. Although in some respects politicized, and sympathetic to political campaigns, youth gangs found the respectable methods and intellectual discourse of political organizations alienating. While sensitive to the plight of black urban youth, the ANC recoiled from mobilizing the volatile and potentially violent gangs. Other liberation movements, such as the PAC and the Black Consciousness Movement, made concerted attempts to appeal to the gangs but, ultimately, they were forced to dissociate themselves.

General

Imprint:	James Currey
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	Social History of Africa S.
Release date:	September 2000
Authors:	Clive Glaser
Dimensions:	227 x 142mm (L x W)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	256
ISBN-13:	978-0-85255-690-0
Categories:	Books > Humanities > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Social groups & communities > General Books > Humanities > History > African history > From 1900 > General Books > Social sciences > Sociology, social studies > Crime & criminology > Offenders > Juvenile offenders Books > History > African history > From 1900 > General Books > History > History of specific subjects > Social & cultural history Promotions
LSN:	0-85255-690-X
Barcode:	9780852556900

Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate? Let us know about it.

Does this product have an incorrect or missing image? Send us a new image.

Is this product missing categories? Add more categories.

Review This Product

No reviews yet - be the first to create one!