ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an historical case study in what one might call the 'dark side' of social capital. Specifically, it examines the phenomenon of indigenous Mori gangs, discussing the reasons for their emergence and the strategies used to deal with them in the contexts of urban communities. The largest New Zealand gangs are Mori. Mori gangs first emerged in the early 1960s and have since become an enduring feature of modern society. New Zealand gangs vary in character and culture. Ethnic Mori and Pasifika gangs tend to be larger and less well organized but admit non-Polynesian membership. Mori gangs resemble Pasifika gangs in terms of cultural alienation, and white motorcycle clubs in terms of class alienation. Organization and structure of patched Mori gangs tend to be looser than the motorcycle gangs, but more organized and stable than the unpatched 'homie' and white supremacist gangs.
