Violencia y jóvenes: pandilla e identidad masculina en Ciudad Juárez

Abstract

This paper deals with the construction of the category of “young man” using the narratives of four male former gang members in Ciudad Juárez during the 1990s and early 2000s. This exercise is conducted on the basis of memory: interviewees talk about their experiences in the gang and their violent practices. The “young man” category is understood as the intersection between gender, sexuality, class, ethnicity and age. Being male and achieving a position in dominant masculinity are elements of a performative exercise.