Violence in the context of gang membership, drug dealing, and the neighborhood
The study offers a critique of the piece "Gang Membership, Drug Selling, and Violence in Neighborhood Context"'s research design, methodology, and theoretical underpinnings.
Certain elements of study design are included by the author. First, the introduction part of the paper contains a clear definition of the research problem. The primary goal of this study is to determine whether drug sales by gang members actually cause aggressive behavior. Second, to handle the research issue, the author clearly develops two hypotheses. The first hypothesis predicts whether being a member of a specific gang in addition to selling drugs contributes to violence among the individuals concerned (Bellair, Paul, & Thomas, 2009). On the other hand, the second hypothesis establishes whether gang members belonging to a certain disadvantaged neighborhood that sell drugs are more likely to engage in violent activities. These two hypotheses are crucial since they provide a clear rationale for conducting the research.
Thirdly, given the high variability of the population to be studied whereby individuals may enter or exit a gang at intervals, the author uses longitudinal design. A longitudinal design in this case enables the sample of population to be studied at intervals because of its variability with time (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2015). Fourthly, the author also identifies the target population. In this case, the author identifies adolescent individuals aged between twelve and sixteen living in a disadvantaged neighborhood as the most affected individuals in that they are likely to join a gang, sell drugs and/or engage in violent activities.
Lastly, with regards to data analysis, the author clearly identifies the empirical model to be used to analyze data. In this case, the author employs a three-level hierarchical model to analyze sample data obtained from the first five waves of the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97) (Bellair, Paul, & Thomas, 2009). The first-level involves measurement of the time-varying covariates such as number of violent acts committed at certain intervals. The second-level involves measurement between persons by taking racial backgrounds into consideration. In this case, the races to be considered include Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and Asians. The third-level involves measurement between neighborhoods by being cognizant of the fact that they are heterogenous in terms of population characteristics. In general, the three-level hierarchical model ensures analysis of all the relevant variables.
However, the research design has some weaknesses. To begin with, the data collection method is not clearly mentioned by the author. The article only mentions the fact that data was obtained from the first five waves of the 1997 National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY97), but we are not sure if the actual data was obtained from interviews or secondary sources. Secondly, the sample data from NLSY97 is too obsolete and may not reflect the current situation in terms of gang membership and drug selling. The data was first collected in 1997 and given the changes that have taken place recently it is less likely that this data will produce reliable results.
Thirdly, the author does not acknowledge any limitations to the study. The limitations of the study in this case includes any constraints that can negatively impact on the research findings (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2015). For instance, in the article it may be worth addressing various limitations including lack of reliable data, difficulties in selecting the right sample size, longitudinal effects and personal bias. The lack of mentioning of such limitations may compromise the reliability of the research findings.
Lastly, the author fails to mention any ethical considerations for the research and the participants. In this case, the participants need to be fully aware about the purpose and nature of the research so that they can comfortably provide confidential information (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2015).
Theoretical Foundation
The author clearly identifies a theoretical framework which provides the foundation for empirical observation. In particular, the author uses the theoretical model to explain the main variables that influence violent behavior. For instance, he uses the Differentiation Association (DA) theory to explain why individuals engage in violent behavior. The DA theory postulates that certain cognitive processes including individuals learn attitudes and rationalizations may explain why some individuals engage in violent activities (Bellair, Paul, & Thomas, 2009). The author also describes the social learning theory which extends the definition of DA theory by providing additional information about the mechanisms involved in acquiring violent behavior. In this regard, the theory postulates that violent behavior may be acquired through the process of imitation whereby adolescents may imitate what adults in their respective locales are doing.
Needless to say, the theoretical model has some shortcomings. First things first, the author utilizes theories that are based on assumptions rather than being supported by empirical findings. For instance, the social learning theory assumes that adolescents will often imitate adults in a disadvantaged neighborhood and this may explain why they engage in violent behavior. However, this is just an assumption not backed by any empirical findings.
Lastly, the author presents a theoretical framework that is restricted to only two theories. Naturally, the theoretical framework needs to be presented in a broader context by including as many theories, models and concepts (Shaughnessy, Zechmeister, & Zechmeister, 2015). This is necessary since it leads to deeper understanding of the research problem.
References
Bellair, Paul E. and Thomas L. McNulty. (2009). "Gang Membership, Drug Selling, and Violence in Neighborhood Context." JQ: Justice Quarterly 26(4):644-69.
Shaughnessy, J., Zechmeister, E., & Zechmeister, J. (2015). Research methods in psychology (1st ed.). Dubuque: McGraw-Hill Education.
