Death and transformation: The reparative power of violence in the lives of young black inner‐city gang members

Abstract

This paper discusses the role of violent perpetration for transforming death anxiety in the lives of young Black inner‐city gang members. The endangerment of young Black men in the ghetto, as well as the unique feelings andfantasies which arise from such endangerment over the course of development, give rise to fervent efforts at self‐repair. Given its power to transfigure subjective life, to supplant dread, helplessness, and passivity with omnipotence and mastery, the enactment of violence can contain immense recuperative potential for the mortally vulnerable child and can, as such, be considered a potent medium of adaptation.