Abstract
The chapters in this volume contribute insight and increased understanding of the dynamic processes in street gang participation and the evolving forms of these groups. Additional chapters address the implications of different gang definitions and describe patterns of gang activity and varieties of group organization. The research reported in this volume represents both qualitative and quantitative strategies, including several instances of cross-cultural comparisons as well as mixed methods approaches. Some of the chapters rely on single sites while others reflect the Eurogang emphasis on the need for multisite studies. Chapters in this volume draw from studies conducted in a variety of nations, including England, Sweden, the Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Venezuela, and the United States. This volume contributes to the evolving body of gang research in multiple regional, cultural, and methodological contexts.
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- 1.
The Eurogang effort has been previously described in a number of publications, including the prefaces of the four previous volumes of Eurogang research (Decker and Weerman 2005; Esbensen and Maxson 2012; Klein et al. 2001; van Gemert et al. 2008), various chapters and articles by Klein (2001, 2007, 2009a, 2011, 2012), and a training manual of Eurogang instruments (Weerman et al. 2009). The coeditors of this volume have attended all 15 workshops held to date and helped to organize, facilitate, and fund a number of them.
- 2.
Eurogang defines a street gang as any durable, street-oriented youth group whose involvement in illegal activity is part of its group identity. The Eurogang Program Manual (Weerman et al. 2009) provides a detailed description of the development and operationalization of this definition.
- 3.
The instrument manual and instruments are available on the Eurogang website, noted above.
- 4.
The International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD) also aims to use standardized instruments and data collection procedures in multiple countries. Mac Klein was also a founding member of this project. This group of researchers has managed to execute three sweeps of student surveys since 1992 without centralized funding. However, the study designs proposed by Eurogang involve executing five methods in multiple country locations at considerable expense. European funding agencies have thus far not prioritized the study of street gangs over other pressing social problems.
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Maxson, C.L., Esbensen, FA. (2016). Participation in and Transformation of Gangs (and Gang Research) in an International Context: Reflections on the Eurogang Research Program. In: Maxson, C., Esbensen, FA. (eds) Gang Transitions and Transformations in an International Context. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-29602-9_1
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