IN EXAMINING EXTENT AND NATURE OF CHANGES IN THE GANG SCENE, THE AUTHOR SEEKS TO EXPLAIN BOTH THE CHANGES AND CONTINUITIES IN GANG ACTIVITIES. THE AUTHOR STATES THAT WHILE CHANGES HAVE OCCURRED, MOST GANGS IN MOST CITIES ARE VERY MUCH THE SAME TODAY AS THEY WERE 10 TO 20 YEARS AGO. HE ALSO FINDS THAT SUCH CHANGES AS HAVE OCCURRED IN MOST GANGS ARE DUE MORE TO SUCH FACTORS AS THE GREATER ACCESSIBILITY OF HANDGUNS AND THE ECOLOGY OF CITIES THAN TO IDEOLOGICAL OR ENACTED ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE. FINALLY, THE AUTHOR FINDS THAT IN THE FEW DRAMATIC INSTANCES IN HWICH GANGS HAVE 'GONE CONSERVATIVE' AND, IN THE PROCESS, LEGALLY INCORPORATED OR IN OTHER WAYS FORMALLY ORGANIZED THEMSELVES, OR HAVE BECOME POLITICIZED, THEY HAVE DONE SO PRIMARILY AS A RESULT OF FORCES EXTERNAL TO THE GANGS. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT MODIFIED)