Russian gang: “Gopnik” The 1990s in Russia were very tough, both economically and socially. That period of time was harsh on the nation as the USSR just collapsed, uncertainty and lack of vision for the future in society coined a new term “Gopnik”. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In my research I will focus on the etymology of the gang's name, specific physical attributes, their distinct slang, and analyzing their agenda and social perception of the gang. I will not touch the data of people affected by these gangs as there is no information about it as these type of crimes tend to be classified as street pickpocketing with no mention of Gopnik involvement. Gopniks are considered the legacy of the 90s, not formally affiliated with anyone but sharing the same clothing attributes, behavioral patterns, and preferences with each other. Gopniks are often perceived and described as “Skin-Heads of Russia (WierdRussia.com). Gopniks have no specific agenda and target anyone they choose to attack. (RBTH.com) However, peaceful civilians tend to be the most vulnerable groups and are equally likely to be attacked day and night by Gopniks in tracksuits (RBTH.com) It is difficult to find sufficient scientific data on Gopniks as they place value on their privacy and are not so keen on communicating with scholars. In my research I will focus on the etymology of the gang's name, specific physical attributes, their distinct slang, as well as their agenda and social perception of the gang. I will not touch the data of people affected by these gangs as there is no information about it as these type of crimes tend to be classified as street pickpocketing without mentioning the involvement of Gopniks. Social disorganization theory, tension theory and cultural deviance theory are the most relevant theories available regarding the Gopniks (Hesse, M). These theories lead to an explanation of why people choose to become Gopniks. The most important circumstances, however, are social stability, economy, education and lack of social control. Evidence of the presence of Gopniks in society is people. Poorer neighborhoods where there is more crime tend to be where Gopniks are found. On foreign websites it is often written that tourists should avoid Gopniks in case they accidentally see them. They are portrayed as neo-Nazis and even the locals fear them. The police choose not to engage with the Gopniks as they are unable to change their behavior and deter them from committing criminal acts. (RUSSIAN 101 - TALK TO GOPNIKS) The word Gopnik comes from the former Soviet republics, referring to a young man or woman often at a lower income gap with little or no educational background. The origins of the word come from the acronym GOP, or Gorodskoe Obshestvo Prizreniye organization (Russian: "Public Charity City"). (Russiapedia.rt.com). In the pre-revolutionary period of the USSR these individuals were responsible for public housing for the lowest income gap in the nation (Russipedia.rt.com). This term was later remodeled and affiliated with those living in assigned public housing, as it was often very poorly maintained, poorly built, and located in rough areas with high crime rates. There is another controversy in linguist circles that the term “Gop” originated and evolved from the Russian word “theft” (RussiaPedia.Rt.com). Given that most street crimes of the timethey were sudden attacks, it was necessary for the thief to jump on the victim in the least expected way. ((RUSSIAN 101 - SPEAKING WITH GOPNIKS). This type of sudden attack was known as "Gop-Stop" or: random attacks by passers-by with the aim of pickpocketing. Shaved head, intent to harm, antisocial behavior, passion for criminal activities , racism, smoking and alcohol consumption are just some of the common attributes of those described as Gopniks. This term is similar to the derogatory term “redneck” used in America, however those who engage in typical Gopnik behavior do not bother using it themselves. (Egorov, O) My reasoning as to why it was important for people to form such gangs in the past is that this was in a sense forming a network system to take care of each other in times when the government was weak. and the country ran away with problems of different kinds. Gopniks are typically found in rural areas. In modern times Gopniks are known for their racist, almost nationalistic and harmful behavior towards the public. The classic look of a Gopnik will include Adidas truck suits (mostly counterfeit Chinese tracksuits), shaved head, bottle of beer/vodka drunk straight from the bottle, pack of cigarettes while sitting in a crouched position. (The Gopniks' favorite snack tends to be sunflower seeds which are chewed and spit out wherever they are found (TheMoscowTimes.com) The reason why a particular brand like Adidas was chosen to be the clothing of the entire Gopnik nation was due to the fact that back in the day it was not allowed to import foreign brands into the USSR, so if they were original they were illegally brought in as contraband. However, since most Gopniks did not have access to such expensive clothing, they thought of taking a shortcut by purchasing fake ones. .(WierdRussia.com).Adidas seemed like a sign of luxury in the world of sportswear and since then Gopniks have chosen to wear it city.The squatting position may seem like a casual movement, yet it has its specific purpose particular posture can distinguish a real Gopnik from a fake one. It is essential to maintain the right posture while doing the “Squat Gopnik” which requires that the real Gopnik does not keep all feet on the ground but rather remains on tiptoe. (WierdRussia.com). This position is the most comfortable way to get up like a spring and attack a spectator or escape from the impending Policiya (police in Russia). Gopniks are known for their specific slang. Their particular crouching posture is known as “in court” (Russian: na kartah) or “doing the crab” (Russian: na krabe). Their best-known and perhaps most feared phrases are “do you have a cell phone?” or “did you get change?” These two phrases tend to be the only phrases Gopniks say to people before robbing them, thus making Gopniks known for those phrases. Gopniks are known for excessive use of foul language, derogatory terms, and sexist comments towards both genders. Gopniks are very negative towards minorities. In today's life, when Gopnik singles out someone from the LGBTQ community, that person will be physically and verbally attacked with a 99.9% probability. There really isn't much anyone can do to protect themselves from Gopniks, but rather avoid walking alone at night in rural areas and not engage in any verbal or non-verbal communication with Gopniks in any way. Please note: This is just an example Get a custom article from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay After the difficult 1990s and the collapse of the USSR, the perception of the Gopnik became less influential. Although young people once belonged.