Key research themes
1. How do gang truces function as strategic social and political interventions to reduce intra- and inter-gang violence?
This theme focuses on the conditions, dynamics, and efficacy of gang truces as negotiated agreements aimed at reducing violence between rival gangs or factions. It examines how truces emerge in contexts of weak state capacity, high violence, and political contestation, exploring the interplay of government actors, gang leaderships, and intermediaries. Understanding this process is critical for developing pragmatic violence reduction strategies in urban and conflict-affected environments.
2. What roles do symbolic violence and group identity play in gang cohesion and the negotiation of membership and status within gangs?
This theme investigates the socio-symbolic and emotional dimensions of gang life, focusing on how violence—especially during initiation rites—and identity construction reinforce group solidarity, loyalty, and status hierarchies within gangs. It explores the performative functions of violence and the signaling processes that gangs and prospects utilize to sustain internal cohesion and delineate boundaries amid hostile and dynamic neighborhoods.
3. How do gang dynamics intersect with territoriality, economic competition, and inter-group boundaries to influence violence and the possibility of peaceful coexistence?
This theme addresses the spatial, economic, and social factors underpinning gang violence and truces, including territorial control over neighborhoods and drug markets, inter-gang competition, and the negotiation of boundaries. It emphasizes how shared identities or master statuses (e.g., as co-residents) can mediate violence, and how economic imperatives like drug trafficking both fuel conflict and create incentives for non-violent coexistence or negotiated truces.
