Life In Gangs Today Differs Drastically From When The ‘West Side Story’ Jets And Sharks Ruled The Streets
The songs are timeless, the casting contemporary and dance routines still daring.
But for social scientists like us, Steven Spielberg’s remake of the 1961 hit musical “West Side Story” – a film about two rival street gangs – is more than a 21st-century face-lift of a Broadway classic. Released in theaters on Dec. 10, 2021, it is an opportunity to consider societal changes in the six decades since Maria and Tony stole the hearts of audiences across the world – particularly in the world of gangs.
As scholars who have studied gang culture, we find that the soul of the street gang hasn’t changed much since the days of the Jets and the Sharks – but the world around them has. Demographics, economics, technology and public policy have reshaped and reshuffled gang life in America. So dramatic ar...