Sociology 1101: Worksheet--"Children of Violence" VC735

1. What similarities do you see between the Hallway Hangers and the East 60s gang?

2. How did the Parkin family come to be living in East Oakland? How is East Oakland different than the world in which the mother and father grew up? Why do you suppose they are less optimistic than the families of the Brothers, who are also relative newcomers?

3. What do you see as signs of a strong, healthy family in the Parkins? What did you see as signs of a dysfunctional family?
Does the mother remind you more of the mothers of the Hallway Hangers or of the Brothers?

4. What were the chief activities of the East 60's gang as seen in the video? How did these compare with the chief activities of the Hallway Hangers?

5. What were the qualities that made Carlos a leader in this group? Were these the same qualities that made for leadership among the Hallway Hangers?

Sociology 1101: Groups --"Children of Violence"

1. What if you were the parents in a family like the Parkins? That is, you are a large family, devout Catholics who do not believe in birth control; the husband-father works full-time or more, but at low-wage jobs; you live in East Oakland? What could you do to give your children a better chance in life? What if you were a single parent in the same neighborhood? Be as realistic as possible.

2. Talk about how group members believe they would have coped with growing up in a neighborhood like this one. Would you have been part of the gang? If not, how would you have coped with the pressures, and where would you have turned for social support?

3. What if Carlos Parkin had access to a long-term stable job that began in the $8/hour range and over time allowed him to work his way up to $12 or even $15/hour? Do you believe he would be likely to make a commitment to such a job? Do you believe he could develop the self-discipline to hold onto such a job? Why or why not? Drawing on the experience of the Brothers and the Hallway Hangers, how likely is he to find such a job?

4. Do you see the young people in this neighborhood as making rational choices? Do you see the neighborhood as disorganized? What kinds of programs or changes do you think would be necessary to get kids like these into a more law-abiding way of life?