Also in the Guardian an extensive article by Zoe Williams.
All of them are making valid points about the roles of gangs in the current unrest in London.
However it would be interesting to hear from a sexual psychologist about some of the impulses that might be driving the violence and looting in these gangs.
For instance, the looting of trainers seems to be very prominent. These extremely-expensive trophies are more than just items of clothing. Anyone who has been involved in the marketing of trainers will know that male youth culture has for some years experienced the fetishisation of feet (over-large, brightly-coloured, "high performance" etc) exhibiting many of the Freudian signs associated with this fetish.
There is also the sexual nature of gang violence itself. Aldous Huxley wrote: "...all enjoy the warmth that accompanies boasting, the fierce electric thrill of fighting... to boast mendaciously about one's own gang and to slander and defame other gangs are acts everywhere regarded as creditable and even pious."
He also wrote: "In the absence of natural enemies men will go out of their way to create artificial ones, so as to have objects on which to vent their hatred. Similarly in the absence of women men will imaginatively transform other men into artificial women, so as to have objects on which to vent their lusts."
I suppose what I am arguing is that young people who are not working are kept in an artificially infantile position unable to afford the fetishised objects that are essential to sexual confidence, and on a more practical level unable to give prospective partners ritualised courting gifts or to establish a household in which to found a family.
In this context looting and violence (for its own sake) becomes a mechanism for achieving sexual status.
But I am not a psychologist, and this may all be wrong (and if this argument is right, then in an odd sort of way conscripting these people into an army might actually solve their psycho-sexual problems).
Above: interesting article by Hannah Devlin that appeared in The Times some weeks ago (you might need to click on the image to enlarge it). Also Dolce & Gabbana photography has expertly exploited the psychological link between fashion, violence and sex. Insanely I would like to go out into one of the riots and ask the participants what trainers they had looted, why they looted one style of trainer rather than another, did they experience any post-looting dissonence etc (also other questions - if their gang was a car what would it be; if their gang was a dog what would it be...).
Above is a screenprint.
Above is a screenprint.
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