ABSTRACT
Criminal gangs as a global phenomenon have been the object of investigation in numerous studies in various parts of the world. This chapter begins by discussing different approaches in gang research on the basis of a typology which categorizes motivations as either criminal or political, and as either internally or externally driven. It provides an overview of existing approaches to the transformation of gangs, such as Sullivan’s three-generation gang model and Hagedorn’s concept of institutionalization. The critical approach conceptualizes gang members as conscious social actors and aims to overcome the analytical divide between agency and structure by stating that “all gang subjects both make and are made by historical forces”. Gang research has paid particular attention to Central American gangs in North America and to gangs in Central America. Criminal gangs are an important yet understudied characteristic of many cities in the global South.
