The tangled history of social network analysis and gang research—A long way from Street Corner Society

Abstract

This article traces the tangled history of social network analysis (SNA) and gang research, showing that relational thinking shaped the field since its origins –even when formal methods lagged behind. Through an analysis of classic studies, we demonstrate how early structural intuitions anticipated modern network concepts. We then synthesize modern classics and new contributions in this area of research, organizing research into six strands: 1) co-offending in the gang context, 2) policing and policy analysis, 3) territoriality and spatial dimensions of gang networks, 4) ego-networks and individual analyses of gang members, 5) group processes, organization, and composition, and 6) gang violence and conflicts. Across these strands, we highlight methodological and theoretical innovations, and policy implications of relational approaches to gangs. The history of SNA in gang research, we argue, reveals SNA as not simply a new shiny methodological toy but as a theoretical lens linking individual, group, and ecological explanations of gang behavior yielding actionable insights for prevention and intervention. Recent scholarship has cemented SNA as a critical asset to the gang scholar’s toolbox.