IN THIS STUDY, THE AUTHORS EXPLORE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUTHS AND THOSE ADULTS WHO MAY GUIDE THEM IN THE VALUES AND OPPORTUNITIES OF THE ADULT WORLD. IT IS ONE OF A SERIES OF FOUR STUDIES BASED ON THE CHICAGO STUDY. "STREET CORNER GROUPS AND PATTERNS OF DELINQUENCY." ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-EIGHT BOYS WERE TAKEN FROM THE POPULATION OF THE ABOVE STUDY AND WERE ASKED TO GIVE THE NAMES OF FOUR ADULTS WITH WHOM THEY TALKED REGULARLY. THESE BOYS AND THE ADULTS THEY CHOSE WERE DIVIDED INTO THE FOLLOWING GROUPS--(1) NEGRO GANG, (2) NEGRO LOWER CLASS, (3) NEGRO MIDDLE CLASS, (4) WHITE GANG, (5) WHITE LOWER CLASS, AND (6) WHITE MIDDLE CLASS. INTERVIEWS WERE THEN HELD WITH 146 ADULTS WHOSE MEDIAN AGE RANGED FROM 35 TO 47. IN THE MIDDLE CLASS COMMUNITIES MORE OF THE ADULTS CHOSEN WERE KNOWN THROUGH PEERS, SUCH AS A FRIEND'S PARENT. IN THE LOWER CLASS COMMUNITIES, THE ADULTS NOMINATED WERE OFTEN "CARETAKERS," ADULTS KNOWN THROUGH FORMAL SETTINGS SUCH AS THE SCHOOL OR CHURCH. ADULTS CHOSEN BY THE GANG BOYS WERE MORE OFTEN NOT IN CARETAKER ROLES AND OF LOWER SOCIOECONOMIC STATUS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FINDINGS OF THE INTERVIEWERS WERE THAT ADOLESCENTS ARE NOT AS ANTAGONISTIC TOWARD ADULTS AS OFTEN PROPOSED, AND THAT BOYS IN GANGS ARE NOT IN CONTACT WITH ADULTS WHO ARE OFFERING GUIDANCE FOR FUTURE LIFE AND WORK. (NS)