Beyond the collective: Personal networks in the study of street gang processes

Abstract

This manuscript discusses the integration of personal network research designs (PNRDs) into the study of street gangs, highlighting their potential to advance scholarly inquiry. PNRDs, which are designed to examine the local network surrounding a focal respondent, enable a rigorous examination of key constructs related to gang formation, identity, violence, and disengagement, and can overcome some of the limitations plaguing sociocentric network studies of gangs. The paper also describes the unique advantages of using PNRDs over traditional social science methods in gang studies. The paper concludes by putting forth sample research questions across various domains of gang processes that can be examined using PNRDs.