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Moral Panics and the Governance of South Asian Gang Involvement: the Construction of a Local ‘Cultural’ Problem

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Moral Panics and the Governance of South Asian Gang Involvement: the Construction of a Local ‘Cultural’ Problem Moral Panics and the Governance of South Asian Gang Involvement: The Construction of a Local ‘Cultural’ Problem by Manjit Pabla A thesis presented to the University of Waterloo in fulfillment of the thesis requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Sociology Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, 2019 © Manjit Pabla 2019 EXAMINING COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP The following served on the Examining Committee for this thesis. The decision of the Examining Committee is by majority vote. External Examiner DR. KATHERINE KELLY Associate Professor in the Department of Women and Gender Studies, Carleton University Supervisor DR. RASHMEE SINGH Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies, University of Waterloo Internal Member 1 DR. DANIEL O’CONNOR Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies, University of Waterloo Internal Member 2 DR. PHILIP BOYLE Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Legal Studies, University of Waterloo Internal-external Member DR. DORIS JAKOBSH Professor in the Department of Department of Religious Studies, University of Waterloo i AUTHOR’S DECLARATION I hereby declare that I am the sole author of this thesis. This is a true copy of the thesis, including any required final revisions, as accepted by my examiners. I understand that my thesis may be made electronically available to the public. ii ABSTRACT In the last three decades, nearly two hundred South Asian men have died in gang violence in Lower Mainland British Columbia. These deaths, coupled with the fear that young men in the community are susceptible to joining gangs, have both triggered and constructed a regional panic over South Asian gangs. This thesis examines the problematization and governance of this phenomenon through 34 in-depth, qualitative interviews with law enforcement officials, educators, and representatives of community organizations who are on the frontlines of gang programing in lower mainland BC. Drawing on the insights of governance scholarship as well as critical studies on moral panics, race, and masculinities, this thesis illuminates the explanations, folk heroes, and villains that play out in official responses to South Asian gang violence. The analysis reveals the multiple ways in which respondents draw on mainstream ideas on culture to explain gang involvement of South Asian boys and men. Assuming this group possesses a distinct value system at odds with mainstream society, interviewees attributed the appeal of gang affiliation to the desire for a ‘gold-collar lifestyle.’ The effect is the pathologization of South Asian ‘culture’ as inherently criminogenic and the neglect of analytical distinctions between ‘culture’ and structural factors. The thesis further examines how the community is differentially enlisted to manage the South Asian gang involvement. Focusing on a controversial strategy known as the BRE program as well as the various programs delivered by ethno-specific South Asian community organizations, the analysis reveals the ways in which community is mobilized for the contradictory objectives of social exclusion and inclusion. The dissertation concludes with an examination of the cultural mythology surrounding the notorious South Asian gangster, Bindy Johal. Drawing attention to his status as both a folk devil and hero, the discussion reveals two duelling narratives framing his legacy. On the one hand Johal is perceived as a contemporary folk devil who continues to draw South Asian youth to gangs today. On the other, he is perceived as an anti-hero or sympathetic figure who overcame racism and the diminishing of South Asian masculinity. The overall effect of these contradictory narratives is the overshadowing of racism, class oppression and related structural factors that underlie why gang involvement may appeal to some disenfranchised boys and men in the South Asian community. Overall, this study makes an important contribution to the growing literature on the role of community in the governance of crime as well as on the topic of South Asian gang involvement, which has received little empirical attention. Key words: South Asian, governance, gangs, community, moral panic, risk, masculinity, culture iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to acknowledge the dedicated work of my supervisor, Dr. Rashmee Singh. At a time where I felt lost and was contemplating leaving the doctoral program, you lifted me back up by providing much needed support and guidance. You helped grow this project from a set of abstract ideas to a scholarly work I am extremely proud to produce. You challenged me to question my assumptions and think critically on key discourses. Your tenacious desire to learn more about my topic and the enthusiasm you showed (always with a friendly smile!) exemplifies true academic mentorship. Thank you, my mentor, supporter and friend. I am also especially grateful to Dr. Philip Boyle and Dr. Daniel O’Connor for serving on my committee. Both Phil and Dan offered a unique perspective to my study and their counsel enriched the final project. As a collaborative effort, Rashmee, Phil and Dan were constantly by my side and saw the potential in me as a scholar by offering important insights, stimulating my intellectual curiosity, and debating and offering alternative ways to look at and frame the issues. I also would like to thank Dr. Katherine Kelly and Dr. Doris Jakobsh for agreeing to serve as external examiners. Your enthusiasm on the topic showed through the challenging, yet insightful questions you raised during defense. Further, I would like to extend my gratitude to Dr. Peter Carrington who served on my committee for the first few years of this study and also directed me towards Rashmee when I was in search of a new supervisor. Your early involvement in the project is much appreciated. I want to also thank my research subjects for agreeing to participate in this study and taking time out of their busy schedules to provide meaningful responses to my questions. These individuals are passionate about the issues and care about the youth in their community. Their narratives are the driving force of my study, which would not exist without their involvement. iv Finally, my appreciation goes to my family and friends who have provided me support throughout this crazy journey. These last few years have been a time for personal growth and discovery, and I am a stronger and better person as a consequence of those people in my life I am the closest to. To my family and friends, you are the reason I am at the finish line today and why I continue to persevere! v DEDICATION First, I dedicate this work to my niece and nephew, Rayna and Jeevan Kalsi, who I have always considered like my own children. My hard work should inspire you to pursue a good education and an endless pursuit of knowledge. Second, I dedicate this dissertation to my mother and father, Parminder and Amarjit Singh Pabla, who have stood by me from the beginning. I am truly happy and grateful now that this journey is done and could not have made it here without your support. You are all in my heart. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter One: Introduction … 1 Theoretical orientations … 4 Clarification of key terms, concepts and terminologies … 17 Methods … 19 Overview of dissertation … 20 Scholarly contributions and intention of work … 22 Chapter Two: Re-examining the issue of “culture” as a risk factor for South Asian gang involvement in Western Canada … 24 Literature review … 27 Conceptualizing the problem … 39 Conceptualizing risk for South Asian gang involvement … 43 Discussion and conclusion … 63 Chapter Three: Governing South Asian gang involvement in Western Canada: Community as a means for both exclusion and inclusion …71 “You are unwanted here”: Exclusionary gang strategies, NIMBYism and Banishment …76 “I’m going to guide you the right way” – Inclusionary gang strategies and ‘saving’ vulnerable youth …97 Contradictory and competing practices – The existence of both exclusionary and inclusionary programing …111 Making sense of the exclusion/inclusion divide …115 Conclusion …119 Chapter Four: Bindy Johal and the duelling legacies of folk “devil” and sympathetic “hero” …123 Examining the literature on moral panics, folk devils and heroes, and hegemonic masculinities and crime …130 Part I: Moral panics and folk devils …130 Part II: Masculinities and crime …139 Creating a legend in Johal: hero or villain? …144 Conclusion … 165 Chapter Five: Conclusion ...168 Summary of chapters …168 Synthesis of arguments ...173 References …180 vii Appendices … 200 Appendix A: Research participants and their organizational backgrounds …191 Appendix B: Interview Guides …192 Appendix C: Introductory script for interviews …200 Appendix D: Information letter …201 Appendix E: Consent form …203 viii Chapter One: Introduction I would say three risk factors are… I would say some of the cultural traditions. You know if you get into that Jatt mentality. A little bit of that bravado kind of thing. I think that probably comes into play. That also overlaps into parents maybe, if you're talking mostly boys, maybe not providing as much oversight when they should early on and nipping things in the bud, rather than just saying: "boys being boys". … I think another risk factor would be again the culture and tradition that's been created here of kind of the Indo gangster, kind of I guess phenomena. That it's a cool thing, it's almost kind of elevating it to a different level. Well I think some of that, again anecdotally, comes from you know, there's the movies made about it now. So much of that stuff can be more hyped up. The history that we've had here over the last 30 years of Indo-Canadian gangsters. As far as I know, I've never heard that phenomenon anywhere else in the world other than here. So it's kind of, you sit here with the Blacks and the Crips and all these kinds of gangs, and now you kind of got that quote-on-quote trademark here.
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