Understanding the lived experience of Malaysian Indian prison detainees of their gang life
Gangsterism and gangs are pervasive and include every ethnicity in Malaysia, but the participation of Malaysian Indians has reached an alarmingly high level. The involvement of Malaysian Indian in gangsterism has very high impact on society and the peace and harmony of the society and nation. Con...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/114159/1/114159.pdf |
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| Summary: | Gangsterism and gangs are pervasive and include every ethnicity in Malaysia,
but the participation of Malaysian Indians has reached an alarmingly high level.
The involvement of Malaysian Indian in gangsterism has very high impact on
society and the peace and harmony of the society and nation. Consequently,
the emphasis of this research was on Malaysian Indian prison detainees who
were involved in gangs.
Transcendental Phenomenology approach of qualitative research design used
to explore the lived experiences of twelve Malaysian Indian prison detainees
who were detained for their involvement with gang violent activities. This is to
gain an in-depth understanding of the lived experiences of the gangsters about
the journey of their gang life. Data collection included semi structured
interviews.
The study utilized purposeful and homogenous sampling strategies. It was
guided by three research questions: 1) What did the detainees understand
about gangs and gangsterism? 2) Why did the detainees join the gangs? 3)
What is the detainees’ life experience as a gang member or gangster?
Analysis of the data from the first research question understanding about
gangs and gangsterism provided two themes namely togetherness and
violence. The findings showed that the detainees have knowledge about the
organizations and its activities before they join gang.
There were two themes emerged from the analysis based on the second
question. Marginalization with four subthemes as poverty, environment,
leadership and protection. The second theme was physical attraction and
culture.
These themes, which create the phenomenon that describes the lived
experiences of the detainees, formed the basis of the findings of the study. The
findings indicated that, marginalization followed by prejudice and inequality,
was the underlying reason of Malaysian Indian engagement in gangsterism. As
a marginalized population, Malaysian Indians face significant familial,
economic, peer pressure, neighbourhood, and education issues. Some commit
crime based on their own choice nevertheless they are aware of the
seriousness and the impact of being a gang member. The older detainees
joined gang mainly for family and people around them and the younger
detainees were to gain their satisfaction.
Based on the experience shared, new fact emerged unexpectedly which is the
talent of informant that was not noticed and encouraged. Based on the shared
experience, an unexpected new fact emerged which was the talent of
informers that was not realized and encouraged. This shows that gangsters are
not born to be but created by the atmosphere and irresponsible parties.
As a whole, the findings also demonstrated that the reality of gang life differs
from the expectations of the informants. The informants endured a great deal
of suffering throughout their lifetimes. The majority of informants have
recognized their mistakes and desire to leave the gang, but the circumstance is
very challenging.
These findings of the study mainly support social Learning Theory and social
Conflict Theory. In terms of practical implications, this study would help the
parents, teachers and society to understand about gangsters and create a
better life for them and help to maintain a peaceful and harmonious country. |
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