Citation

McLean R, Deuchar R, Harding S, Densley J. Br. J. Criminol. 2019; 59(2): 396-415.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2019, Centre for Crime and Justice Studies, Publisher Oxford University Press)

DOI

10.1093/bjc/azy015

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Street gangs, by definition, enjoy a special relationship with the street. Prior research shows that some communities are synonymous with gangs and that turf holds a combination of expressive and instrumental value for gang members. As gangs evolve over time and through different levels of organization, however, gangs' relationship with the street changes. This shifting street dynamic is underexplored in prior research, thus, drawing on qualitative data from Scotland and Bourdieu's theory of social field, the current study presents three cases of gangs at different stages of evolution and examines how levels of gang organization affect spatial relationships. As gangs accumulate sufficient street capital to evolve, we find territory is defined less physically and more relationally, with implications for gang research and practice.

© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (ISTD). All rights reserved.

Language: en