Humanities & Civics
Course · 10 lessons · 2h 3m
Gangs and Criminal Networks: Geography, History, and Policy
After this course you can analyze how geography, history, structural violence, and policy shape the formation and persistence of gangs and criminal networks.
By the end, you'll be able to
- Mapping the Unmappable: How Geography Shapes Gang Definitions
- The Geography of Belonging: Why Gangs Form Where They Do
- Digital Streets: Exploring How Tech Redefines Gang Territories in 2025
- Territorial Time Travel: Tracing the Geographic Evolution of American Gangs
Curriculum
10 lessons- 01Mapping the Unmappable: How Geography Shapes Gang DefinitionsIn this inaugural episode of "Let's Talk About Gangs & Criminal Networks," Ms. A. explores how geography fundamentally influences the definition, identification, and understanding of gangs. She unpacks the complexities of gang definitions, territorial identity, mobility patterns, and the implications of place-based labeling, setting the stage for critical discussions throughout the course.
- 02The Geography of Belonging: Why Gangs Form Where They DoMs. Andrea Hagan explores the spatial theories underlying gang formation, examining how neighborhood characteristics, environments, and social networks influence gang behavior. Through real-world case studies from Chicago, Los Angeles, and beyond, she highlights the critical role geography plays in shaping crime opportunities and pathways to belonging.
- 03Digital Streets: Exploring How Tech Redefines Gang Territories in 2025Professor A examines the digital divide in gangs—Digitalists vs. Traditionalists—and how tech, economic crises, and social media shape modern gang recruitment and territorial control.
- 04Territorial Time Travel: Tracing the Geographic Evolution of American GangsExplore how geography shaped American gangs from 19th-century immigrant neighborhoods to global networks today, with a focused case study on Louisiana's gang landscape.10 min
- 05Gangs Without Borders: Transnational Networks and the New Global Crime LandscapeThis episode explores the complex dynamics of transnational gangs, tracing their evolution from local street groups to global crime organizations. Ms. A. unpacks how migration, prisons, politics, and recent U.S.-Venezuela tensions feed into the structure and power of these criminal networks, drawing on recent news, research, and real-world cases.12 min
- 06Reclaiming Space: Community-Based Strategies in Little VillageThis episode explores the Little Village Gang Violence Reduction Project in Chicago and how a geographic, community-based approach transformed one of the city’s most gang-affected neighborhoods. Through a close look at The Little Village Project, we break down the strategies, teamwork, and real data that show the power of place-centered interventions in reclaiming community space from gangs.9 min
- 07Before the Label: Structural Violence and the Making of Gang MembershipExplore Christian Bolden's story to understand how poverty, adultification bias, and systemic racism create conditions where gang involvement is a survival strategy, not a choice.31 min
- 08Where You Live Shapes Your LifeProfessor A explores how ZIP codes determine life chances, from redlining roots in San Antonio to gang presence in marginalized neighborhoods. Dive into neighborhood effects theory, policy impacts, and stories showing how geography influences identity, opportunity, and justice.11 min
- 09Inside the Cage: Transformation, Education, and Hope in U.S. PrisonsExplore Christian Bolden's prison journey, desistance theory, and education's role amid structural violence in the U.S. prison system. Can change thrive in spaces built for control?27 min
- 10Permanent Punishment: How Reentry Barriers and Deportation Perpetuate ExclusionExplore Christian Bolden's story and research on the trapped cycle of criminal records, employment discrimination, and deportation fueling gang violence and social marginalization.22 min
Your instructor
Professor A's Class: Let's Talk About Gangs & Criminal Networks
Let’s Talk About Gangs & Criminal Networks is a weekly educational podcast that explores how history, geography, culture, and policy intersect to shape our understanding of gangs and organized street life. Each episode unpacks key themes from criminology and justice studies—territory and space, surveillance, identity, social structure, and inequality—through real-world case studies, research, and storytelling.
From Chicago’s early neighborhood gangs to the NYPD’s controversial database and New Orleans’ legacy of systemic neglect, Professor A guides listeners through how definitions, data, and lived experience collide in the politics of labeling. Designed for students, educators, and justice advocates, this series bridges scholarship and community insight—educating for change and teaching for justice.
Visit Professor A's Class: Let's Talk About Gangs & Criminal NetworksStart the course
10 lessons · 2h 3m. Free, no signup.
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