NCJ Number
212589
Journal
Criminal Justice Studies: A Critical Journal of Crime, Law and Society Volume: 18 Issue: 4 Dated: December 2005 Pages: 321-333
Date Published
December 2005
Length
13 pages
Annotation
This study examined the nature of deviance among youths in an immigrant Bangladeshi community in New York City.
Abstract
Although previous research has sought to understand delinquency within immigrant communities, there has been no research on deviance among youths within immigrant Bangladeshi communities. This ethnographic case study relied on formal interviews, informal conversations, observations, and newspaper articles to explore the nature and contributing factors of deviance among youths in one Bangladeshi community in New York City. Qualitative data analysis revealed that the Bangladeshi youth engaged in a range of deviant behaviors of varying severity. Many Bangladeshi youth engaged in deviant behavior as a way of rejecting traditional cultural norms. Elders in the community considered frequent trips home to Bangladesh to stay with relatives an important component of properly socializing Bangladeshi youth residing in the United States. Another factor contributing to deviance in Bangladeshi immigrant youth was the high level of conflict noted between adult members of the Bangladeshi community, which is divided along socio-political lines. Despite the deviance evident among the youth in these communities, serious forms of delinquency were not a major problem. Future research should explore the apparent generation and cultural gap between immigrant adults and youth. References