KTC Student Affiliates have the opportunity to present their work. Sociology doctoral student Megan Kang presents her ongoing work on what it means to exit a violent social network, over lunch, Friday, March 24, 12:15pm.

"Drawing on 95 interviews with current and former gang affiliated individuals and over two years of observations of a violence prevention program, I describe how changing gang landscapes in Chicago shape what it means to exit a violent social network. Increasingly “blurry” gang membership and territorial boundaries have made it easier to leave one’s immediate group while introducing new challenges to leaving the wider gang network. Blurry boundaries make it more difficult to signal one’s exit to several potential threats and safely navigate neighborhoods to capitalize on available services and job opportunities. This shift in the gang landscape has given rise to new exit tactics, some of which may be mistaken for antisocial behaviors rather than sincere attempts to desist from crime.

By Monday, March 20, please register to aid in lunch count or to receive Zoom link.