The gang I am observing goes by the name of Grape Street Watts and are affiliated with the Crips. Grape Street is known for being one of the most ruthless gangs in the city of Watts. This gang usually hangs out in the housing projects surrounding Jordan High School which are cleverly called the Jordan Downs. Going into this project I automatically attributed a variety of negative qualities to gang members. This is also known as the horn effect. .
As I walked into the Jordan Down Housing Projects, better known as the JD's, it did not take me too long to find a group of gang members. While I walked along with my brother and a couple of other friends for protection I cautiously observed each person in the bunch. This was the selection stage of my interpersonal perception of this gang and it's members. Their bodies were full of tattoos many of which where names that had R.I.P written over them. They also had scars all over their faces. This group then set up in a corner, and began to shoot dice. One of them took out a marijuana cigarette and shamelessly began to smoke it, in broad daylight. They all were wearing brand name clothes like Ice Berg, Versace, Girbaud, and many other expensive brands. I noticed that one of the gang members was carrying a gun. Every person in the bunch would look at anybody who would walk by them with a mean face and then say a bad word. After observing this group for a couple of minutes I thought it would be wise to leave the area in order to avoid any danger. .
After carefully viewing what the gang members were doing I then better formed my perception by fulfilling the last two stages of interpersonal perception, organizing and interpreting. From what I observed I concluded that gang members sell drugs to get money, this would explain their big wads of cash, their expensive clothes, and their expensive jewelry. I figured that they would kill at will because I noticed one of them had a gun in their belt area and did not seem too ashamed at what any one might think about the gun.
