| The study of violence traditionally has neglected the microsocial level of explanation and has been hampered by an almost complete failure to appreciate the importance of understanding non-violent alternatives. The purpose of this study was to address these two deficiencies by examining the role of various situational characteristics and interactional processes in the occurrence of dispute-related incidents and in their violent and non-violent outcomes. Toward this end, observational data gathered on 16 black and 11 white gangs in inner-city Chicago neighborhoods over a three-year period beginning in 1959 were analyzed. Quantitative analysis involved the testing of hypotheses derived from impression management theory, each focused on assessing the importance of one of several situational variables suggested by the literature as relevant to the occurrence of violence. When possible, interaction sequences also were examined. Results of these analyses generally are supportive, indicating that disputes tended to unfold in a manner consistent with what we would expect given the circumstances and their impression (status) management implications. Qualitative analysis was oriented toward further development of impression management theory, with emphasis placed specifically on themes related to the conditions under which disputes are likely to emerge and either escalate into violence or be "squashed." The result is a conceptual scheme that is useful for understanding how, within a youth gang context, factors and processes operating at the microsocial level contribute to the occurrence of disputes and impact the decision made by disputants to engage in violence or to back down. Limitations of the study are discussed, as are the implications of findings. |
