Social disintegration and its relationship to the formation of collective violence - a field study on a sample of neighborhood gang criminals in the city of Chlef

Abstract

This study aims to explore the dialectical relationship between social disintegration and the formation of collective violence in urban society, focusing on the dynamics of neighborhood gangs in the city of Chlef. The study adopted a qualitative approach as a cognitive entry point that allows for a deep understanding of the phenomenon, where the semi-structured interview technique was employed as the main tool for data collection. A purposive sample consisting of 15 young individuals from neighborhood gang criminals was selected using the snowball technique, which allows access to a hard-to-reach community. The study focused on elucidating the various sociological dimensions related to social disintegration and its impacts on the production of collective violence.