Criminal Family Networks: Criminal Capital and Cost Avoidance among Urban Drug Sellers

This study explores: (1) how criminal family networks facilitate cost avoidance strategies by urban drug sellers and (2) transmission of criminal capital by these networks. Twenty interviews with drug sellers in Philadelphia found that family networks provided unique access to cost avoidance techniq...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Deviant behavior 2016-11, Vol.37 (11), p.1325-1340
Main Author: Fader, Jamie J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Avoidance behavior
Criminology
Cultural capital
Drug trafficking
Families & family life
Kinship networks
Mentoring
Merchants
Offenders
Organizational structure
Organized crime
Urban areas
Urban crime
Victimization
Victims
Violent crime
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:This study explores: (1) how criminal family networks facilitate cost avoidance strategies by urban drug sellers and (2) transmission of criminal capital by these networks. Twenty interviews with drug sellers in Philadelphia found that family networks provided unique access to cost avoidance techniques that appeared to reduce offenders' risk of arrest and violent victimization. Transfer of family criminal capital was not limited to mentoring and tutelage; these networks also allowed sellers to access the organizational structure at higher levels, inherit existing businesses, and make errors with few consequences. Extant theory could be advanced by considering social sources of criminal capital.
ISSN:0163-9625
1521-0456
DOI:10.1080/01639625.2016.1177388