Hauptseminar Gangstas Paradise Gangsters in the US and South Africa

Organised crime and gangsters have been part of urban life for centuries; well-known examples are Al Capone, the Kray Brothers in East London and Lucky Luciano. Gangsterism often fills a vacuum that is left by mainstream society. The reasons for the attractiveness of gangs are numerous: They function as family substitutes, they initiate clear-cut identification, they embody rules and rites of passage and they are a subculture that contradicts dominating forms of culture and subverts values and norms of a society (e.g. the emphasis on loyalty). But they are also life on the fast track: drugs, revenge murders and incredible violence are part of their daily fare. Nevertheless, especially literature and movies such as The Godfather or The Sopranos, added to the mystification of organised crime and its representatives. In this course we will analyse the phenomenon of gangsterism in the US and South Africa (to be more specific, in Baltimore and Cape Town) and what the reasons for their development and long tradition in these cities might be. We will also look at how the official side deals with this issue and to what extent literature and film approach the topic. Students are required to read, listen to and watch all suggested media and participate actively in classes. They are asked to read the novel Tsotsi by Athol Fugard and watch the first season (13 episodes) of the HBO television series The Wire (available at Amazon for ca. 10 euros) before the beginning of term. Anglistik Universität Duisburg-Essen SoSe 2015 Dr. Drawe Claudia