|
.....In-Class
Generated Questions and Brainstorm
...................on
8 Ball Chicks by Gini
Sikes
|
Questions
Generated In-Class on 8 Ball Chicks
from the section on Los Angeles:
* If you were
in Wanda's position when the incident with Baby G
occurred, would you also lose faith in your entire
gender as she did?
* Would you take on
the risks that Gini Sikes does of interviewing
violent gang members like TJ and Coco in their
own environment, why
or why not?
* If you were getting
money from the AFDC like Bird and Coco, would you
tell the reporter writing a book about your life
even though doing so could put you in jeapordy? Why
do you think the gang members are so honest?
* In today's society
where poligamy and multiple partners are considered
morally wrong, why do you think Coco
so openly accepts
Bird's relationship with Roylene and herself?
* If you were in a
gang would you rather be tough like Jade or
sensitive like Wanda and why?
* Why do gang members,
such as Jade, search and rob for cash when their
family offers them the world?
* If you, like Mrs.
Franklin, had two daughters involved in gangs and
you knew that gang life was a threat to your
family, why or why not would you continue to live
in South Central?
*
If you, like Wanda, were
raised in Blood territory and always got beat up,
would you have joined the Boods so they would stop,
the Crips, or neither?
*
If you were Bird and received
$16,236 per year from the Department of Children
for your kids, would you still continue to rob
people to live like he does or go get a job?
*
If you, like Gini, did not
belong in or around gang life and after hearing all
the stories of gang-banging, would you or would you
not continue to go to the different gangs?
* In the
situation with Bird and Coco, they share their
responsibility of their children with another
woman, and Coco knows that Bird is sleeping with
her. How can Coco allow that to be happening in her
home and could do what she is
.... doing and ignore
the jealousy?
* Why do you think the
male crime rate only went up 25% and the females
went up 82%? Does that mean females
are getting more
violent?
* How would the police
officers in San Francisco handle the gang members
in Los Angeles?
* The police are not
focusing on female gangbangers, but their numbers
are rising. How do you feel about it and what
do you feel will be
the impact?
* Knowing that the
man's wife killed herself with the gun that was
given to her for protection, would you still give
someone you love a gun
thinking that it will protect them from danger in
the ghetto?
*
If you lived in the
ghetto would you go for easy money or a steady job
or both?
*
How does gang life
affect the residents and community around them?
*
How are Bird and
Coco's family influenced by the gang life they are
surrounded by?
*
What do you think the
main causes are for gangbanging? For women? For
men?
*
What influence does
one's environment have in deciding whether to join
a gang or not?
*
Why is it that people
involved in gangs stay involved when they wouldn't
want that for their kids?
*
How wasy is it to
escape the ghetto/gang cycle?
*
What problems do you
think you would face if you tried to get out of a
gang to better your life?
*
What are the problems
females face when they get involved with male gang
members?
*
What are the
consequences female gang members face and how are
they different from males?
*
Do woman have the same
killing instinct as men?
*
Explain the
differences between Jade and Wanda and what does
this reflect about gang life and its
consequences?
*
How do wanna-bes move
up into hardcore gangbanging?
*
How do the gangs from
different regions compare? How dangerous is each
region and why?
*
How are female gangs
different from male gangs?
*
How are the children
affected by gang life in South Central?
*
Are governmental and
law enforcement agencies treating gang ridden
cities as a lost cause? Why are they so quick to
judge and how can these communities be turned
around?
*
What has led gang
members in general to be so skeptical of the
polices' efforts to help their communities?
*
Why are female gang
members viewed as second class citizens?
*
Why aren't the
authorities recognizing female gang members as a
real threat?
*
How does economics
play are role in the illegal activities in gang
life?
*
How do we see Coco's
attitude change from when Sikes first met her to
the close of the chapter on L.A?
*
Do you think people
over-exaggerate gang stories or are they true?
*
Would you risk your
dignity, respect, and maybe even life to know what
people suffer in a gang environment?
*
How does living in a
gang environment affect a person's mentality?
*
Like Bird, many men go
to jail leaving their families behind. Because of
this, how are society's women able to put
up
with raising a family
on their own? Who do they turn to for help?
*
Why do females receive
harsher sentences than males? How do you feel about
the laws' sexist treatment toward
female
criminals?
*
In L.A., the police
department seems to pay more attention to the male
gangs than the female gangs, why?
|
|
Questions
Generated In-Class on 8 Ball Chicks
from the section on San Antonio:
* Personally,
do you feel that there is a difference between male
and female gang members in San Antonio and if so,
why are the
differences and what can we learn about gender
attitudes from these differences?
* Alicia, who is 17
years old, is beaten and controlled by her
boyfriend Robert, who is 14 years old. Do you think
this is a reflection of gangs' or society's views
of male domination?
* If you were in
Scariella's position, would you join the gang that
murdered your little brother and why do you think
people still join gangs that can have or can harm
their family members or themselves?
* Do you think that
because the threat of gangs was so long ignored and
brushed off by local government and the media in
San Antonio that it led gangs to thrive and gain
power more quickly? What are other possible
causes?
* One gang's
initiation rite is for women to have sex with a boy
infected with HIV. If you were in a "no hope"
situation and if you weren't in a gang you would be
preyed upon, beaten, raped, or even murdered, would
you submit to this initiation?
* How is sex used in
gang life and what does this reveal about attitudes
toward women and violence?
* Would you be able to
cope with dating someone in a gang? Why do girls in
gangs allow themselves to be trapped into dating
only men in their gangs and to be trapped into
taking orders from these men in general?
* How do you feel
about San Antonio and the police reaction to
gangs?
* Why do females, such
as Alicia, continue to be controlled and abused by
men?
* If your boyfriend
had died from gang activities and you were an
intelligent young woman, could you cut your gang
ties and pursue an
eduation or would society accept you after your
gang involvement?
* Why do girls like
Nancy accept the physical and sexual abuse their
gangs subject them to?
* Sweetie is an
example of a female gang member who distrusts other
women. If women can't ever unite, how are they
going to overcome the power male gang members
possess?
* Do you think Gat Man
having a perverted drunk for a father and role
model will be like his father and prove to society
that history does repeat itself or will he take
contol of his situation and change? If you were Gat
Man how would you
handle the situation?
* Alicia joined a gang
to escape from her homelife. Do you think people in
general join gangs to get the family they never
had?
* If you knew that in
order to be in a female gang you would have to go
through initiations like fighting one-on-one,
getting shot in the leg, getting jumped in by six
women, or having to roll the dice and hope they get
two at the most, which would you chose? Why do
women choose between these options instead of
refusing?
* Nick was a two-sided
person with other girls and Wicked and this soft
side/hard side seems typical of gang members. Why
is this so, how does it affect them and can they
ever escape this?
* With how gang life
is today, would you as a parent go along with gangs
like Gat Man's father did and do you think a lot of
parents in society would or would not go along?
* Alicia was raped by
both her step-father and her friend Freeze. How
does society deal with the issue of rape and how
would you deal with the issue if you were faced
with the same things as Alicia was faced with?
* Knowing that gang
rape is a major issue in today's society, why isn't
the law taking stronger actions in protecting
victims of gang rape so that girls like the one
raped in the alley are not afraid to report it?
|
|
Questions
Generated In-Class on 8 Ball Chicks
from the section on Milwaukee:
* Droopy's mom
loves to see her fight and would sit and cheer her
on. An ordinary mother would protect her
children
....and not allow them
to fight. What causes her mother to be like this
and would you do the same?
* If you were an
officer, would you go out of your way for gang
members? What are the attitudes from the police
.... toward gang
involvement in the book?
* Did Mama Sheik have
other options? What draws her into gang life and
could she have avoided it? Could she have
....gotten out? What
role did prison have in changing her?
* Why do you think
that Milwaukee has double the national average in
juvenile arrests? Do you think that being one
....of the most
segregated cities in the country has an effect on
this average?
* What are the effects
of a woman with the stereotypical powers and
behaviors of a man?
* How do you feel
about Officer Robinson's idea to intervene after
the first and second criminal strikes, and
continuing
....after the third?
How do you think altering this law would affect
society?
* Do you think all the
issues Sad Eyes had to face of abuse and being
molested led her to gang life?
* How do you think
Mama Sheik went from a neighborhood dance team
leader, to a bank robber, to a business
....woman, to a drug
empress? If you were her, could you have turned
your life around?
* Milwaukee and Los
Angeles are both racially segregated and violent
cities. What can we do as a nation to reduce the
number of gangs that commit violent crimes? What
can we learn by looking at and comparing cities
like Milwaukee, San Antonio and Los Angeles about
violence and gangs?
* If you were forced
by economics to live in low income gang areas with
rape, drug use, and prostitution prevalent, would
you try to seek programs or professional help to
escape this reality? Are there any programs for
young female gang members who are tying to escape
this environment?
* Why do you think the
Juvenile Court was lenient on Droopy's sentence but
won't help her with her probation meetings? Is our
Court System effectively dealing with, reacting to
and/or supporting young at risk people?
* If Mrs. Rodriguez
focused more on her daughter Sad Eyes instead of
just on her sons do you think this would have
affected Sad Eyes' personal life and her
involvement in gang activities? What are the
parents of gang members' roles and responsibilities
in regards to their children?
* Why don't people
just move away and change their indentities if they
know that their life in gang areas and ghettos is
going to be bad and painful? Is there always a way
out?
* Why do people like
Mama Sheik, Sad Eyes, and Droopy who were abused
become abusers?
* Do gang members in
Milwaukee have better financial opportunities than
gang members in other cities? Is it easier to
escape gang life in Milwaukee?
* Sad Eyes never
really had a normal childhood and felt she grew up
too fast. Do you think if Sad Eyes had a decent
home and parents who loved and disciplined her,
would she have taken the same path?
* If your mother was
in a gang like Sad Eyes' said her mother was, how
do you think it would affect you emotionally and
how do you think society would look upon you?
* As a result of child
abuse, many children join gangs. Do you think that
child abuse drove Mama Sheik, Sad Eyes, and Droopy
to enter gang life allowing them to reverse the
abuse?
|
|
Brainstorm on
Themes and Issues in 8 Ball Chicks
from the section on Los
Angeles:
|
|
* Male
dominance
* Poverty and
ghettos
* Females in gangs
* Violence and
Death
* Sharing men
* Retaliation
* Cycles of
violence/vengeance
* Joining gangs to
survive
* 150,000 gang
members
* 1,200 gangs
* 12,000 female gang
members
* Women are
tough--show no fear
* Worst gang problem
in U.S.
* Must demonstrate
gang loyalty
* Over-crowded
schools
|
* Rise of crack use
in the 1980's
* Worse murder rate in
the U.S.
* History of gangs go
back to 1940's
* Police involvement
and presense
CHARACTERS:
* TJ
* Coco
* Bird
* Roylene
* Jade
* Wanda
* Mrs. Franklin
* Janet
* Crips and Bloods
* Shygirl
|
|
Brainstorm on
Themes and Issues in 8 Ball Chicks
from the section on San
Antonio:
|
|
* Rape
* Sexual initiations:
sex with AIDS infected people
* Drive-bys
* Not seeing rape as a
problem
* Poor schools, no
programs, high drop out
* Endless revenge
* High cocaine use
* Poverty--living in
crowded projects
* Gang truces and
summits for peace
* High murder
rate--shootings
* Gangs formed in the
1980's
* Economic failures in
80's led to cutting of youth programs
* Cutting of programs
led to high drop/expulsion rates
* 23% of people below
the national poverty line
* Acceptance of
rape
|
* Rape so common
among women it's ignored/expected
* Drugs and
alcohol
* Prostitution
* Police attitude
CHARACTERS:
* Alicia
* Robert
* LA Boyz, 8 Ball,
Lady 8's
* Scariella
* Doomsday
* Wicked
* Nick
* Barbara
* Sandy
* Gat Man
|
|
Brainstorm on
Themes and Issues in 8 Ball Chicks
from the section on
Milwaukee:
|
|
*
By mid 1980's there were 4,000 gang members
* Less gang activities
compared to other 2 cities
* More wanna-bes
* More chances to get
out of gang life
* One of the most
segregated cities in the U.S.
* Double national
average for youth arrest
* Molestation and
sexual abuse
* Pimping and
prostitution
* Number of gangs on
the rise
* Abusive families:
physically, emotionally, sexually
* No respect for
female gang members
* Rare to have female
leaders of gangs
* Successful females
in gangs behave like men
* Drug addicts and
drug dealers
* Alcoholism
|
* More police
involvement
* Respect in gangs
equals fear
* Gang members'
double-sided personalities
* Prison making people
committed criminals or reformed
CHARACTERS:
* Mama Sheik
* Droopy
* Sad Eyes
* Mother of Sad
Eyes
* Latin Kings
* Latin Queens
* Officer Johnson
* Officer Robinson
* Romero the
counselor
* Sharon, Mama Sheik's
sister
|
Return to
Top
|
