A Philosophical Approach to the Subject of Gang Activity in Londons Night Time Economy - Term Paper Example

A Philosophical Approach to the of Gang Activity in London’s Night Time Economy When taking an epistemological approach to understanding things, it is crucial to separate knowledge which is routed in fact from knowledge which is what can be called ‘false knowledge’. Taking this understanding to a philosophical level, one can evaluate virtually any issue effecting human beings. This particular discussion will focus on the topic of gangs in the night time economy. The overall goal is to critically analyze the issue of gangs in the night time economy through two separate philosophical perspectives. The two chosen perspectives are going to be humanistic criticism and structural criticism; both in opposition to one another. Ethics vary from society to society but generally dictate how we ought to act one toward another. Considering gangs in particular, one can certainly observe a large variance between generally accepted ethics and the type of activity advocated by the sociological structure of gangs. Political philosophy deals mostly with the individual and that individual’s relationship with the state in which they live. Obviously, organized government can find a great deal of fault with most gang activity but it is important to look at both sides of the story. Most youngsters that become involved in gangs, do so for a reason. They are accustomed to a lifestyle which has fostered a very unhealthy environment causing them to turn as a last resort, to the safe haven of a group of equals which welcomes them, “In the dimension they inhabit, kids go to bed underfed and often untended and learn to step over discarded hypodermic syringes and broken bodies in unlit hallways and garbage-strewn streets as soon as theyre able to walk”(Parker, 2007). To look more closely at this ideology, the gang mentality takes the concept of larger thinking and applies it to smaller infrastructures, such as the gang to which an individual doing the acting (proactively asserting of gang morals and ethics) belongs. This means that the idea of social order on a state or government level is nullified by the hierarchy of the gang. When the gang itself, becomes a replacement for society, the only ‘ethics’ applied would be applied within the gang. In order to look back for a moment, the larger structure which is society which we are universally taught to function in, is not only the higher power anymore but is also an enemy. A prospering economy which adopts a night life like so many other states and countries, is only patronizing the enemy, from the pseudo-moral code of a gang member and his/her gang family. It goes without saying that refraining from disrupting said economy, is in everyone’s best interest which is of course on a level higher than the hierarchy of the gang. Gang activity and profit is propelled through violence and terror. By terrorizing such a macrocosm is viewed by gangs as an enemy or a rival even but never an authority. The philosophical examination of resistance against the ‘organization’ or government can be summed up as a form of anarchy. The term anarchy is not an uncommon word to most as it is typically utilized to emphasize a ‘buck against the system’ or against the authority of social leaders. Anarchy is actually a social philosophy embraced by those who are motivated by an idea of having no leader or set of rules to which they might have to abide. Gang activity has long been marked by individuals who prefer to operate overall, against someone or something. Any gang which has ever been studied in history, has lived by a code instilled by their respective gang’s code of ethics. This may include the avoidance of harming innocent by standers while other gang embrace an ideology which grants total power to the people which assemble under no authority than their own. Social contract is in direct opposition the concept of anarchy. Primarily, it is assumed in social contract that a government body or leadership regime is currently in place. With such a structure however, comes the surrender of certain individual freedoms in exchange for a level of individual rights. This is the case in most Westernized political regimes. The social contract implies that freedom is not free and thus demands one contribute the better of the whole by trading freedoms for rights. When approaching gang activity, one may take a look at the problem of gangs from primary as well as secondary philosophical elements. Ethics is a primary discipline of philosophy and deals essentially with what is considered generally to be right and wrong. Ethics provides the basis for how we choose to conduct social structures from large establishments on a country or state level to industries such as medicine and law. As early as the time of Socrates, humans have been challenged to think of our existence on a level which regards human life as the highest form of life on the planet. Socrates established what we know today to be ethics by teaching that knowledge itself is virtue, “Self-knowledge is the sufficient condition to the good life. He identified knowledge with virtue. If knowledge can be learned, so can virtue. Thus, virtue can be taught”(Lander, 2001). In today’s economic climate, it is crucial for larger cities who wish to remain competitive and economically stable, to house businesses which are open not only during normal business hours but also on into the night time hours, as well. London has not been immune to the necessity of promoting 24 hour businesses thereby creating an after hours market which can essentially stand alone. London has also not been immune to the fact that such an after hours economy is appealing to those who can be considered social deviants, such as gangs and gang members. Virtually every large city on the planet which features an after hours economy, has also found itself to be infected with public safety concerns such as violence, theft and certainly other gang related activities. In order to evaluate the issue of gang related activity in London’s night time economy from a humanistic approach; it is necessary to do so according to several logical steps which will allow one to ascertain qualitative data which can then be analyzed. First of all, the problem of gang activity which takes place is obviously a very big problem both economically and in the interest of public safety. This is clearly a researchable problem in that one can quantify its negative influence on local business, London economy and rates of incident. The second step is to formulate a hypothesis which will then serve as a centrifugal aspect of research. In this case, it can be hypothesized that gang activity within the night time economy is a hindrance to economic growth and public morale. A review of literature which is pertinent to the topic can then be performed and in this case, will follow. Literature Review: Asthana, Anushka., Townsend, Mark. “London’s Gang Violence Scarred Us All”. This report details on a close level, how destructive gang violence has been to London as a community both large and small. As mentioned in other reports, London officials have made honest efforts to form alliances with youth by bridging gaps in the school systems. Clearly, identifying problems early on with younsters, can put a stop to a portion of gang activity before it even begins, “Commander Shaun Sawyer, head of Scotland Yards Violent Crime Directorate, nods at this and explains that his officers are trying to engage with young people. He then points to his uniform and apologizes: But I accept this can be a barrier.”. Brabazon, Tara. Mallinder, Stephen., “Into the Night-Time Economy: Work, Leisure, Urbanity and the Creative Industries”. This particular work focuses mainly on the aspect of the London night time economy with respect to challenges faced in various forms of urban development. One of the first avenues for the curbing of deviant activity discussed by Barbazon and Mallinder, is that “happy hour” promotions or reduced price alcoholic beverages were very much a part of the problem with London’s gang violence during the evening and late night hours, “On Tuesday May 24, 2005, The Guardian newspaper reported an announcement by the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), which represents 32,000 clubs and bars, that cheap alcohol deals offered by its outlets were to be curtailed.1 More than half of Britains pubs promised to stop selling cut-price alcohol through drink promotions and happy hours. Concerns for health and social issues, exacerbated by a growing culture of binge drinking supposedly encouraged by such promotions, lead to this sudden self imposed restriction. The changing face of the leisure and entertainment industries had emerged as a residual effect of a developing night-time economy and made conspicuous through issues of social and urban management”. Making such changes in available behavior altering substances is just one of many changes which have been pursued in the spirit of reducing gang violence in London’s night time economy. Other issue discussed within this work are security personnel issues as well as public regulation issues; all of which involve reducing gang violence and activity. Doocey, Dee. “London’s Night Time Economy”. This particular work, albeit small, is helpful in gaining an idea as to how important London’s night time economy is overall, “This growth of the night time economy is good for London in many way; it brings money into the capita; it provides jobs for Londoners and attracts visitors”. This statement made by the chair of the Economic Development, culture, sport and tourism committee reflects the goals of expanding a city such as London to the capacity of capably supporting both a day and night time industry as it also goes without saying that gang activity could easily impede London’s ability to fully prosper from this venture. Home Office / Crime Reduction, “Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide”, This useful guide is schematically laid out in order to assist both small and large communities in safely minimizing gang activity. Not only does this guide help to identify the core of the problem in gang activity but it also helps in comprehending the nature of the problem at hand. The guide goes on to specifically outline who should read the guide as well as how the guide may be applied in real life situations, “In each case you are advised to analyse your local problem and consider which approaches might be appropriate to adapt for your area. What works in one area may not be directly transferable to another – your local partnership needs to understand the local context and adapt any approaches to that situation”. Mayor Watch - Independent London News and Analysis, “Boris calls for ’smarter solutions’ to gang violence”. This particular article is one in which the Mayor’s attempts at resolving the increasing issue of gang activity and violence in London, is addressed, “London needs ‘smarter solutions’ to tackle gang violence according to Mayor of London Boris Johnson. Speaking at the Gangs Guns and Weapons Practitioners Forum annual seminar the Mayor raised concerns about vulnerable young people being lured into criminal gangs. Mr Johnson also promised that his Youth Violence Strategy would include ‘hard hitting’ new plans to tackle crime”. The article goes on to discuss the incidents of violence and other delinquent forms of behavior connected to gang activity, which could be circumvented in the event that police agencies and educational institutions can work in harmony in the spirit of reducing or minimizing gangs in London. Neroulias, Nicole., “How Do We Stop Gang Violence?”, This particular article was written regarding youth in areas of the state of California in the United States. The premise however, shed quite a bit of light into why kids find themselves involved with gangs, “Children as young as 10 join gangs through older relatives, usually because they dont have good relationships with their parents, the students said. They dont do well in school, so they drop out and sell drugs to make money. Before long, they are addicted to the drugs and to the support, protection and respect their gang provides”. The basis for why young people gravitate towards gang activity and the joining of gangs; is universally the same. The underlying reason as to how kids find themselves in gangs is the same whether the individual young person is in London, the U.S. or any other part of the world. Analysis: Based on the literature discussed above, the isolation of the problem of gangs can be in part, attributed to the prevalent availability of alcohol by London area pubs to the tune of reduced priced drinks during happy hour. Similarly, this high rate of availability of alcohol coupled with low security and minimal regulations; has made London’s night time economy, an opportune environment for devious crime sprees and increases of gang violence. Falsification: In humanistic approaches to identifiable problems, it is important to attempt falsification which in this case, there is no basis for such an attempt. It is known that gang violence is a very tangible problem while the solutions to rectifying it are viable and productive. Though London’s night time economy is an ideal environment for wayward youngsters who have turned to the false sense of acceptance provided by gang involvement, a community which focuses on education itself as to the multiple means of curtailing gang activity through collaborative security efforts and minimization of readily available alcohol. The goal is to recreate an environment within London’s night time economy such that gang violence and activity is unable to occur discreetly and without consequence. Results and Conclusions: Based on the information acquired from the literature relevant in this case, it is clear that the problem of gang activity within the London night time economy; is ever present and certainly calls for a remedy which can act continually. Interpretation: Lindblom Protocol: From a Scientific standpoint, the issue of gang activity in London’s night time economy is not one which can be disputed as existing. Many police reports and articles will substantiate the very real presence of a growing problem. Furthermore, the elimination of a night time economy is simply not an option for a city which simply must maintain stride with other like cities; as it is a global metropolis. From the discussion pertinent to gangs in the London night time economy; it is clear that an intermediate force must be instigated in order to bridge the gap in which London youth are somehow falling through. Security must be raised just as regulations with consequences must be implemented. This could mean perhaps the implementation of a strict curfew if need be or another proactive means of keeping kids off of the streets after dark while still fostering an globally competitive night time economy. Structural Critique of the Problem og gangs in London’s Night Time Economy: Structuralism is in direct opposition with the The previous humanistic approach to the subject at hand. From an approach based on structuralism, will look at the problem of gang activity in the London night time economy as a complex network of factions which are ll related. This approach is one which is most commonly used within the realms of cultural or linguistic issues. London’s gang activity with respect to its night time economy is very much an issue which can be said to be routed in cultural issues. First of all, the need to become an urbanized city up to date with its global competitors has greatly influenced London’s evolution into a 24 hour metropolis. Looking at the types of businesses which are commonly available after normal working hours may lend some insight into the problems which have materialized. If one were to visit any of the world’s economic powerhouse cities such as London, Paris, Rome, New York, Las Angelis and so on; one will quickly note that establishments such as night clubs, bars, entertainment based companies, restaurants and gentleman’s clubs are primarily businesses which profit from maintaining late night hours of open business. Attempts in reducing promotions such as half priced drinks have been implemented in order to make strides in reducing adverse cultural problems such as gang violence. Looking at the complex interweaving of cultural and sociological significance within the problem at hand can allow one to derive meaning by means of a structural point of view. With specific focus on a cultural problem such as gang violence, the following line of logic can be helpful in finding the problem’s origin. On a primary level, one can look at a city as a sort of infrastructure. Each and every metropolis that becomes more and more modernized, sets a higher standard for cities which follow as their predecessors. For example, if Milan wishes to compete with Paris, it will have to offer the same sort of nightlife, job opportunities, residential districts, school districts and so on. Obviously, London has had to elevate its economy to a status of operating both during normal business hours and also after. In the meantime, there are still sociological cracks within society that if ignored, will allow for a general breakdown or loss through those cracks without the intervention of appropriate solutions. Like any other large metropolis, London is not exempt from youth which have been poorly cared for or guided in healthy family or community groups. These youth or wayward adults, have take advantage of the now 24 hour city life which presumably cannot have police supervision in equal amounts at all times. These individuals who are finding themselves drawn to the small group dynamics of gangs, are able to take advantage of the lack of supervision and policing which is taking place in the late hours of London’s economy. Similarly, one can argue that many individuals who are prone to function more so in the late hours than in the ‘normal’ day time hours, are predisposed to behave in a more deviant manner than those who operate primarily within the daylight hours of day. This is justified by assuming that those who work in or frequent establishments such as pubs, gentleman’s clubs, late night entertainment facilities and so on; are more prone to act deviously than those who work at a benign job such as a 9-5 office job. Where a humanistic theory may glance at the problem of night time gangs as a problem which may be followed by a solution; a structural critique will instead look at the problem og night time gangs in London as originating from a sociological set of issues which has resulted then, in the on-set of gang activities which take place opportunistically during the night time hours of London businesses. Certainly, a balance between profitable night life which supports a globally competitive economy and one which provides a safe haven for family life and the avoidance of gangs in general, is a difficult balance to maintain. Many other big cities have found themselves within the same predicament as after hours night life tends to create an environment which allows fastidious gang evolution. Conclusion: Clearly, London’s gang problem must be circumvented by aggressive means with a proactive plan to bring London’s educational system into cahoots with its legal system. This discussion has explored through two opposing philosophical avenues; the possible causes and origins of London’s night time gang problem. References: Asthana, Anushka., Townsend, Mark. (2008) London’s Gang Violence Scarred Us All Retrieved December 5, 2008 from website at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2007/jul/01/youthjustice.crime Brabazon, Tara. Mallinder, Stephen., (2008) Into the Night-Time Economy: Work, Leisure, Urbanity and the Creative Industries, retrieved from website December 5, 2008 from website at: http://www.nobleworld.biz/images/M_and_B.pdf Doocey, Dee..(2008) London’s Night Time Economy, CBI Brief, retrieved December 5, 2008 from website at: http://www.cbi.org.uk/ndbs/positiondoc.nsf/88676202a2a63e1e802573d300540d6f/58e6553cc1b008fe80256f3c003c689c?OpenDocument Lander, (2001), Ethics, retrieved December 14, 2008 from website at: http://philosophy.lander.edu/ethics/socrates.html Home Office-Crime Reduction, (2008) Tackling Gangs: A Practical Guide, retrieved December 5 from website at: http://www.crimereduction.homeoffice.gov.uk/violentstreet/violentstreet012.htm Mayor Watch - Independent London News and Analysis, (2008), Boris calls for ’smarter solutions’ to gang violence, retrieved December 5. 2008 from website at: http://www.mayorwatch.co.uk/boris-calls-for-smarter-solutions-to-gang-violence/20084981 Neroulias, Nicole., (2008) How So We Stop Gang Violence?, Oakland Tribune, retrieved December 5, 2008 from website at: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4176/is_20060218/ai_n16144326 Parker, Jim. (2007), “The View from the Street”, Do It Now Foundation, retrieved from website December 12, 2008 from website at: http://www.doitnow.org/pages/178.html Read More