Structural Functionalism Gangs

The social issue I have chosen for this assignment is gangs. Gangs are a major issue, especially in poverty-stricken areas. They can create rivals and add hostility and violence into an area. Gangs are a serious problem that police have a hard time solving. Gangs can recruit young adolescents and send them on a path of crime and detour them from a bright future. Each theoretical perspective (the major three perspectives are structural functionalism, social conflict paradigm, and symbolic interactionism) has a different view on the questions they would ask and the way they would examine this issue.

Structural Functionalism Structural functionalism is a macro-level paradigm that wants to explain the social structural roles. Structural

The research question I would frame the research project around is “'Does being involved in a gang increase the risk of dropping out of high school?” I would then find existing information around the topic, such as published studies and unpublished papers. The next step would include choosing the research methods; the seven research methods are the following: survey research, fieldwork, detached observation, participant observation, experimentation, use of existing information, and participatory research. The two methods I would choose are fieldwork and using existing information. Fieldwork would be used since other methods, such as surveys, wouldn't give accurate results since gang members might not truthfully answer (such as not admitting they are apart of a gang.) I would use existing information, such as the number of drop outs in an area crowded with gangs and the number of drop outs in an area without gangs, to help my research project. The next thing I would do is make sure the research project fits in the Nuremberg Code; this will make sure the project follows all ethical guidelines. The search will be quantitative, since the risk of dropping out of school due to gang affiliation can be indicated by a percentage, or number, that can be compared to the drop outs of students who are not affiliated with gangs. The last step would be to share my results. This is important so other people can compare their similar research project's results with mine. After many sociology research projects relating to a similar topic, a sociological theory could potentially be