One of the Guys: Girls, Gangs, and Gender

by Jody Miller

One of the Girls, Gangs, and Gender examines the causes, nature, and meaning of female gang involvement. Miller situates the study of female gang membership in the context of current directions in feminist scholarship and research on both gangs and female criminal offenders. Unique in its approach, this book is a comparative study that examines both gang members and nongang members to provide an accurate picture of the nature of gang life. The author draws on interviews from two contrasting cities, St. Louis, Missouri and Columbus, Ohio. While both cities have relatively new gang histories, their socioeconomic conditions are notably different. The book opens with a foreword written by Malcolm W. Klein, a leading authority on youth gangs. Miller examines how and why girls join gangs; the nature of girls' involvement in gangs; how gang involvement shapes girls' participation in delinquency and their risk of victimization; and the ways in which gender affects their gang
experience. Miller concludes by drawing out implications for gender and crime and the study of female lawbreaking. Written in a lively and personal style, One of the Girls, Gangs, and Gender includes rich, extensive interviews offering fascinating excerpts from the girls themselves. Miller examines these dialogues in order to explore gender identities within gangs. One of the Girls, Gangs, and Gender is an ideal text for courses which focus on juvenile delinquency, women and crime, gang activity, and female lawbreaking.

Genres: Gender, Nonfiction, Sociology

288 pages, Paperback

First published October 26, 2000

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