Anita MoranMarlene GallardeSociology 1Monday/Wednesday 11:30 a.m. - 12:55 p.m. March 5, 2014TheoriesI chose gang involvement because of both the negative and positive aspects that gangs have on society . Gangs play a major role in society in many parts of the world. Gangs are a group of people within the same community who share common interests or share the same situation. Gangs can be applied to all sociological theories, functionalism, conflict theory, and symbolic interaction. To me, functionalism is when the gang community has a certain task to accomplish that is balanced and stable in relation to the five social institutions. How functionalism applies to gangs depends on how they are interconnected with society and serve a purpose. Whether or not society views gangs as a negative or wrong part of society, gangs are also a positive part of society. The overt functions of gangs are to protect their territory and loved ones at all costs, even if this has negative consequences on society. Other overt functions are their participation in the illegal distribution of drugs to earn a living....