Six Lines

A Methodological Agenda for Critical Gang Studies

Bibliographic Data

ID6052013
AuthorsAlistair Fraser (0000-0003-1157-4379, corresponding author), Elke Van Hellemont (0000-0002-3160-0709, University of Kent)
Year2022
Volume30
Issue1
Pages13-28
Publication date2022-03-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueCritical Criminology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1205-8629 • E-ISSN: 1572-9877
PublisherSpringer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1007/s10612-022-09617-0
OpenAlexW4221137106
LanguageEN
References cited62

In the twenty-first century, the established methodological props for gang research have worn increasingly thin. Place-based definitions involving territorial groups confined to neighbourhood fiefdoms have become increasingly fractured, as shifts in social life increasingly overwhelm and undercut such approaches. This paper seeks to offer a new methodological agenda for transnational gang studies that is premised on the significance ofmobilityandflow. The paper first sets out a review of existing approaches, drawing on three established lines in critical gang studies—vertical, horizontal and parallel—which are rooted in place. Next, we suggest three emergent lines—circular, radial and transversal—which are designed to interrogate dynamics of mobility and technology in global gang studies. We suggest, in conclusion, that methods based on ‘flow’ should not replace those rooted in ‘place’ but must operate in a dialogue between online and terrestrial space, paying close attention to the role technology plays in shaping social interaction

Criminology · Economic geography · Epistemology · Geography · Sociology · Computer Science · Crime Patterns and Interventions · Crime, Illicit Activities, and Governance · Policing Practices and Perceptions

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