How Drug Dealers Settle Disputes: Violent and Nonviolent Outcomes

The inaugural volume of this new book series presents a rich trove of findings about how street corner drug dealers resolve their business disputes.

Dr. Taylor's ethnographic study is based on in-depth interviews with 25 New York City drug sellers. Among the questions addressed are: What are the characteristics of drug-business disputes? How do such disputes move from initial confrontation to the final result? Do violent disputes differ in kind or degree from nonviolent ones? And, are situational factors - such as the presence of weapons or third parties - key determinants of violent versus nonviolent outcomes?

In addition to generating a wide range of significant findings, Dr. Taylor's research also expands and strengthens situational theories of violence. According to the foreword by series editor Dr. Mercer Sullivan, this study illustrates the many distinctive and irreplaceable contributions of qualitative research.

About the Author:
Angela P. Taylor, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of criminal justice at Fayetteville State University