The role of South Asian family culture in South Asian gang involvement

South Asian gang involvement remains a predominately unknown phenomenon – often defined as a sociological phenomenon rather than a cultural one. Studying South Asian gang involvement within South Asian cultural contexts can possibly inform new policy initiatives that might prevent further gang violence in B.C. The current study uses a qualitative approach to garner the perspectives of South Asian family members in order to understand South Asian gang involvement as a cultural phenomenon. Through one-on-one qualitative interviews and a social learning theory lens, data indicated that South Asian family culture – through the promotion and reinforcement of masculine attitudes and the idealization of wealth – can potentially influence a South Asian boy to join a gang. These findings are similar to previous gang studies on family, masculinity, and wealth across other cultures. Policy implications targeted towards South Asian families and directions for future research, including interviewing current/former South Asian gangsters, are discussed.