Question

Are street gangs examples of voluntary or involuntary associations? Are they based on ascribed or achieved characteristics, or some combination of the two?

Answer 1

Street gangs are an illegal association of individuals who come together for some discouraged behavior in our society. Involuntary associations are the ones where there is a unilateral imposition or threat of sanctions. For example, if people hand over you money because you threat them you are imposing bad behavior, if you are in a group, your group is called involuntary association.  

They are based on achieved characteristics. Because people are born with some positive traits that describe them, like attitude, confidence and some negative traits like stubbornness. But when people join street gangs their small negative traits are turned into huge negative traits. They wouldn't even know that their hatred could go to such a large extent to make them commit a felony. They might have some little irritation with other people but as soon as they join gangs their irritation is turned into an urge to kill torture. They become sadists. Sometimes they see other people in their gangs doing stuff which makes them repeat what they saw their member doing. For example: snatching stuff off people, murder, torture.