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Inkin’, Taggin’, Flashin’, and Flowin’: Defining Group Identity Through Mara Salvatrucha Expressive Culture

Jacky, Alejandro Hernandez
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1337881140

Abstract Details

2012, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Spanish and Portuguese.
This dissertation asserts that the expressive culture of the trans-national street gang, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), helps to account for the unprecedented expansion of the organization. I examine how their tattoos, graffiti, and rap consolidate allegiance and strategically engage with the outside world. MS-13 expressive culture, much like nationalistic culture, manipulates insiders’ and outsiders’ understandings of the group. Such activities help designate MS-13 members as “citizens" of a Mara Nation, and encourage members to consider their affiliation with the gang preeminent, trumping religion, family, ethnic group, or politically defined country. I examine MS-13 expressive culture as what Patrick Colm Hogan calls “techniques of nationalization,” which work to promote the importance of the nation or equivalent social group above other associations, often with the aim of making that group important enough to kill and die for. Special emphasis is placed on how their expressive culture challenges the often-sensationalized media depictions of the gang. This approach to Mara Salvatrucha culture and group identity enables us to understand better how this hermetic gang has grown to become one of the most feared and powerful organizations in the world.
Richard Gordon, PhD (Committee Chair)
Abril Trigo, PhD (Committee Member)
Laura Podalsky, PhD (Committee Member)
319 p.
Latin American Studies
Mara Salvatrucha; MS-13; tattoos; graffiti; El Salvador

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Jacky, A. H. (2012). Inkin’, Taggin’, Flashin’, and Flowin’: Defining Group Identity Through Mara Salvatrucha Expressive Culture [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1337881140

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Jacky, Alejandro. Inkin’, Taggin’, Flashin’, and Flowin’: Defining Group Identity Through Mara Salvatrucha Expressive Culture. 2012. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1337881140.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Jacky, Alejandro. "Inkin’, Taggin’, Flashin’, and Flowin’: Defining Group Identity Through Mara Salvatrucha Expressive Culture." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1337881140

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1337881140
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© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.