“I Still Love My Hood”: Passive and Strategic Aspects of Role Residual Among Former Gang Members

• Author: Bryan F. Bubolz,Sou Lee
• Date: 01 June 2021
• DOI: 10.1177/0093854820959115
• Published date: 01 June 2021
• Subject Matter: Articles

CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, 2021, Vol. 48, No. 6, June 2021, 846 –863.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0093854820959115

Article reuse guidelines: sagepub.com/journals-permissions

© 2020 International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology

846

“I STILL LOVE MY HOOD”

Passive and Strategic Aspects of Role Residual Among

Former Gang Members

BRYAN F. BUBOLZ

Northern Michigan University

SOU LEE

Gonzaga University

One important aspect of gang disengagement that has been largely overlooked is the role of identity in the time following

membership. Research has shown that former gang members often retain social and emotional ties with their former gang

peers and may experience role ambiguity as a result. Despite this, there has been virtually no examination of role residual—

the lingering aspects of one’s former identity—that may exist among these individuals. Using life history interviews, the

current study addresses this gap by examining role residual among a sample of 30 former gang members. A total of 25 par-

ticipants (83%) identified three types of role residual—symbolic, demeanor, and worldview. In contrast to previous scholar-

ship, role residual appeared to manifest as passive and strategic occurrences.

Keywords: gangs; desistance; qualitative methods; identity; attitudes; behavior

INTRODUCTION

Extant literature on gang disengagement has focused not only on the motives and meth-

ods of exit but also on the persistent social ties after leaving (e.g., Bubolz, 2014; Decker,

Pyrooz, Sweeten, & Moule, 2014; Pyrooz & Decker, 2011; Pyrooz et al., 2014). Indeed, gang

members often maintain social and emotional ties to the gang in the time following exit. As

such, identifying as a former gang member does not necessarily mean a complete divorce

from gang life. Lingering emotional and social ties complicate the meaning of being a former

gang member (Decker & Lauritsen, 2002) as these individuals may continue to engage in

gang-related violence and exposure to increased victimization (Pyrooz & Decker, 2011;

Pyrooz et al., 2014). Not only may former gang members continue to be enmeshed in gang

AUTHORS’ NOTE: Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Bryan F. Bubolz,

Criminal Justice Department, Northern Michigan University, 1401, Presque Isle Ave., 2500 Jamrich Hall,

Marquette, MI 49855; e-mail: bbubolz@nmu.edu

959115CJBXXX10.1177/0093854820959115Criminal Justice and BehaviorBubolz, Lee / ROLE RESIDUAL AMONG FORMER GANG MEMBERS

research-article2020

Bubolz, Lee / ROLE RESIDUAL AMONG FORMER GANG MEMBERS 847

life but also they may also experience stigma and discrimination (Lee & Bubolz, 2020;

Rosen & Cruz, 2018) considering they “continually have to deal with society’s reaction to

their once having been a part of a previous role” (Ebaugh, 1988, p. 5). Complicating matters

further, role residual—the lingering aspects of a former identity that exists after group exit—

may contribute to misidentification among law enforcement officers when deciding to

include individuals on gang databases. This is problematic because misidentified individuals

may be subjected to discrimination, gang enhancement statutes, the denial of bail, and tar-

geted law enforcement efforts (Lee & Bubolz, 2020; Leyton, 2003).

Currently, research on the topic of role residual suggests that it is a passive occurrence

that operates in an unintentional manner (Ebaugh, 1988; Simi et al., 2017). For instance,

former gang members may continue to wear certain colors associated with their former

gang or present an aggressive posture for no objective purpose. This conceptualization does

not consider the intentional and strategic enactment of an individual’s former identity to

achieve specific goals, and as such, fails to capture the complexities associated with role

residual. Relatedly, there has been virtually no examination of role residual among former

gang members. Although Decker, Pyrooz, and Moule’s (2014) study on role exit among

former gang members identified the existence of role ambiguity (i.e., the uncertainty about

one’s relationship to the gang), there was no discussion or examination of role residual.

Given the empirical and conceptual void in the existing literature, the current study advances

previous research by categorizing the various types of role residual (i.e., symbolic, demeanor,

and worldview) as well as how they operate (i.e., passively and strategically).

GANG IDENTITY AND CORE EXPECTATIONS

Research in criminology has incorporated some aspects of identity and emphasized

how individuals see themselves as well as the various influences that shape their sense of

self (Becker, 1963; Heimer & Matsueda, 1994; Horowitz, 1983; Leverso & Matsueda,

2019; Tannenbaum, 1938; Vigil, 1988). Identity can be understood as “the shared social

meanings that persons attribute to themselves in a role” (Burke & Reitzes, 1991, p. 242).

Although identity is a central aspect of the gang experience (Cohen, 1990), few studies

have teased out the specific microlevel identity mechanisms associated with gang mem-

bership (e.g., Bubolz & Lee, 2019; Horowitz, 1983; Lauger, 2012; Vigil, 1988). Identity

has been utilized as a conceptual basis not only for understanding gang involvement but

also for explaining violence (see Bubolz & Lee, 2019; Hughes & Short, 2005; Lauger,

2012; Stretesky & Pogrebin, 2007). Interestingly, violence serves a reciprocal function of

reinforcing the gang identity. For instance, violent initiation rituals provide members with

a new source of social identity and increases group cohesion and solidarity (Decker,

1996; Descormiers & Corrado, 2016). Importantly, most individuals who join gangs

experience gang initiations during their adolescent years (Descormiers & Corrado, 2016)

when identity development is particularly important (Erikson, 1977). As such, the oppor-

tune timing of gang involvement/initiation during adolescence reflects a quintessential

moment for identity development. This is especially important considering that gangs

socialize members into a cultural system that encourages conformity with group symbols,

demeanor, and worldviews. These three aspects of gang life are particularly salient

because they represent core features of the gang identity (Decker & Van Winkle, 1996;

Horowitz, 1983; Vigil, 1988).