John M. Hagedorn is a

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criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing other ...

at the

University of Illinois at Chicago The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, adjacent to the Chicago Loop. The second campus established under the University of Illinois ...

Biography and Books

Hagedorn dropped out of college in 1967 to work full-time in the civil rights and then anti-war movements. He was doing community organizing in Milwaukee in 1981 when he observed gangs forming. He ran the city’s first gang diversion program and returned to school, getting his BS in 1985 and his MA in Sociology in 1987 from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wisc ...

. He studied under Joan Moore and received a PhD in Urban Studies in 1993 from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. Hagedorn’s first book, ''People & Folks'', argued for more jobs than jails and applied

William Julius Wilson William Julius Wilson (born December 20, 1935) is an American sociologist. He is a professor at Harvard University and author of works on urban sociology, race and class issues. Laureate of the National Medal of Science, he served as the 80th P ...

’s underclass theory to gangs. He was the architect of a neighborhood-based, family centered social service reform that became the subject of his dissertation, published as ''Forsaking Our Children''. With a crew of former gang members he conducted a multi-year re-study of Milwaukee gangs, which led to a second edition of ''People & Folks''. In the first edition, Hagedorn predicted that if jobs were not created Milwaukee’s gangs would entrench in the illegal economy. This prediction, unfortunately, was supported by his subsequent research. Dr. Hagedorn accepted a tenure track position at the

in 1996. He was editor, along with Meda Chesney-Lind, of ''Female Gangs in America'', reprinting many of the classic academic articles on female gangs. His interest turned to Chicago gangs, and he became immersed in the history of the

Vice Lords The Almighty Vice Lord Nation (Vice Lords for short, abbreviated AVLN) is the second-largest and one of the oldest street and prison gangs in Chicago, Illinois. Its total membership is estimated to be between 30,000 and 35,000. It is also one of ...

and the importance of race. His global travels further informed his understanding of gangs, which led him to edit the volume ''Gangs in the Global City'', and later to write ''A World of Gangs''. In ''A World of Gangs'', he applied Manuel Castells’ work in analyzing gangs, arguing that understanding the cultural struggle for identity was crucial in working with gangs. Mike Davis calls Hagedorn’s work the foundation of the critical school of gang studies. His most recent book, ''The In$ane Chicago Way'', looks historically at gangs, organized crime, and corruption in Chicago.

References

Gang Research

Hagedorn CV (2.3.2014)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hagedorn, John M. American criminologists Living people Year of birth missing (living people)