Papachristos has been working with gangs and gang members for more than 15 years. In the 1990s, before returning to graduate school, Papachristos worked as a gang outreach worker with several community groups in Chicago. His research focuses on the group processes involved in gang behaviors, especially how the interactions among and between gangs and gang members create enduring social networks. Papachristos is currently completing a manuscript entitled, Street Corner, Inc.: The Rise and Fall of a Corporate Street Gang (under contract with Oxford University Press).
Some related publications:
- "Murder by Structure: Dominance Relations and the Social Structure of Gang Homicide." In The American Journal of Sociology.
- "The Corner and the Crew: The Influence of Geography and Social Networks on Gang Violence." In The American Sociological Review.
- "The Importance of Cohesion for Gang Research, Policy, and Practice." In Criminology & Public Policy.