James F. Short, Jr., is professor emeritus of sociology at Washington State University. Lorine A. Hughes is assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

As one of my colleagues likes to say, this is 'criminology as it oughta be.' The book addresses issues on the theoretical and analytic cutting edges of the discipline, and do so with an appreciation for the intellectual history of gang research that shaped the contemporary framing of these questions. Professor Short's introductory essay in itself is worth the purchase price in this regard. This definitely is required reading for anyone with even a marginal interest in gang dynamics and their contexts.

• Chapter 1 PrefaceChapter 2 Chapter 1: Why Study Gangs? An Intellectual JourneyChapter 3 Chapter 2: Are 'Gang' Studies Dangerous? Youth Violence, Local Context, and the Problem of ReificationChapter 4 Chapter 3: Studying Youth Gangs: The Importance of ContextChapter 5 Chapter 4: The Gang Facilitation Effect and Neighborhood Risk: Do Gangs Have a Stronger Influence on Delinquency in Disadvantaged Areas?Chapter 6 Chapter 5: Neighborhood Effects on Street Gang BehaviorChapter 7 Chapter 6: Youth Gang Social Dynamics and Social Network Analysis: Applying Degree Centrality Measures to Assess the Nature of Gang BoundariesChapter 8 Chapter 7: Social Network Analysis and Gang Research: Theory and MethodsChapter 9 Chapter 8: A Public Health Model for Studying Youth GangsChapter 10 Chapter 9: The Value of Comparisons in Street Gang ResearchChapter 11 Chapter 10: Hate Groups or Street Gangs? The Emergence of Racist SkinheadsChapter 12 Chapter 11: Youth Gang Research in AustraliaChapter 13 Chapter 12: The Global Impact of GangsChapter 14 Chapter 13: Gang Membership and Community Corrections Populations: Characteristics and Recidivism Rates 'Relative' to Other OffendersChapter 15 Chapter 14: The Comprehensive, Community-wide Gang Program Model: Success and FailureChapter 16 Chpater 15: Moving Gange Research ForwardChapter 17 References

James F. Short, Jr., is professor emeritus of sociology at Washington State University. Lorine A. Hughes is assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

As one of my colleagues likes to say, this is 'criminology as it oughta be.' The book addresses issues on the theoretical and analytic cutting edges of the discipline, and do so with an appreciation for the intellectual history of gang research that shaped the contemporary framing of these questions. Professor Short's introductory essay in itself is worth the purchase price in this regard. This definitely is required reading for anyone with even a marginal interest in gang dynamics and their contexts.

• Chapter 1 PrefaceChapter 2 Chapter 1: Why Study Gangs? An Intellectual JourneyChapter 3 Chapter 2: Are 'Gang' Studies Dangerous? Youth Violence, Local Context, and the Problem of ReificationChapter 4 Chapter 3: Studying Youth Gangs: The Importance of ContextChapter 5 Chapter 4: The Gang Facilitation Effect and Neighborhood Risk: Do Gangs Have a Stronger Influence on Delinquency in Disadvantaged Areas?Chapter 6 Chapter 5: Neighborhood Effects on Street Gang BehaviorChapter 7 Chapter 6: Youth Gang Social Dynamics and Social Network Analysis: Applying Degree Centrality Measures to Assess the Nature of Gang BoundariesChapter 8 Chapter 7: Social Network Analysis and Gang Research: Theory and MethodsChapter 9 Chapter 8: A Public Health Model for Studying Youth GangsChapter 10 Chapter 9: The Value of Comparisons in Street Gang ResearchChapter 11 Chapter 10: Hate Groups or Street Gangs? The Emergence of Racist SkinheadsChapter 12 Chapter 11: Youth Gang Research in AustraliaChapter 13 Chapter 12: The Global Impact of GangsChapter 14 Chapter 13: Gang Membership and Community Corrections Populations: Characteristics and Recidivism Rates 'Relative' to Other OffendersChapter 15 Chapter 14: The Comprehensive, Community-wide Gang Program Model: Success and FailureChapter 16 Chpater 15: Moving Gange Research ForwardChapter 17 References

James F. Short, Jr., is professor emeritus of sociology at Washington State University. Lorine A. Hughes is assistant professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at the University of Nebraska at Omaha.

As one of my colleagues likes to say, this is 'criminology as it oughta be.' The book addresses issues on the theoretical and analytic cutting edges of the discipline, and do so with an appreciation for the intellectual history of gang research that shaped the contemporary framing of these questions. Professor Short's introductory essay in itself is worth the purchase price in this regard. This definitely is required reading for anyone with even a marginal interest in gang dynamics and their contexts.

• Chapter 1 PrefaceChapter 2 Chapter 1: Why Study Gangs? An Intellectual JourneyChapter 3 Chapter 2: Are 'Gang' Studies Dangerous? Youth Violence, Local Context, and the Problem of ReificationChapter 4 Chapter 3: Studying Youth Gangs: The Importance of ContextChapter 5 Chapter 4: The Gang Facilitation Effect and Neighborhood Risk: Do Gangs Have a Stronger Influence on Delinquency in Disadvantaged Areas?Chapter 6 Chapter 5: Neighborhood Effects on Street Gang BehaviorChapter 7 Chapter 6: Youth Gang Social Dynamics and Social Network Analysis: Applying Degree Centrality Measures to Assess the Nature of Gang BoundariesChapter 8 Chapter 7: Social Network Analysis and Gang Research: Theory and MethodsChapter 9 Chapter 8: A Public Health Model for Studying Youth GangsChapter 10 Chapter 9: The Value of Comparisons in Street Gang ResearchChapter 11 Chapter 10: Hate Groups or Street Gangs? The Emergence of Racist SkinheadsChapter 12 Chapter 11: Youth Gang Research in AustraliaChapter 13 Chapter 12: The Global Impact of GangsChapter 14 Chapter 13: Gang Membership and Community Corrections Populations: Characteristics and Recidivism Rates 'Relative' to Other OffendersChapter 15 Chapter 14: The Comprehensive, Community-wide Gang Program Model: Success and FailureChapter 16 Chpater 15: Moving Gange Research ForwardChapter 17 References