Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Ward.
Hi Thomas, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I have been teaching a class on Criminal Street Gangs at USC since 1997. My main area of research focuses on Central American gangs (MS-13 and 18th Street), and have been studying them for over 20 years. My book, Gangsters without Borders (Oxford University Press) is an ethnography of MS-13, the result of 16 years of research with hard-core gang members in Los Angeles and El Salvador (cf. ‘Embedded with MS-13,’ YouTube). My secondary area of research is mindfulness and meditation. Since 2015, I have been teaching a freshman seminar entitled ‘Mindfulness in Cultural Practices.’ This class is the result of my study with Tibetan Bön Buddhist monks since 1995. In addition to these classes, I teach Introduction to Social Anthropology and Magic, Witchcraft, and Healing (cf. A&E documentary, All Them Witches, in which I am featured). How I got to this place and practice is a long story, better saved for a conversation.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would not call the road smooth, but I would call it extremely rewarding. The main struggle was getting active members of street gangs to allow me to hang out with them and eventually open up to me. Studying and practicing with Buddhist monks has been effortless and enlightening.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As far as I know, I am the only researcher who managed to document the lives of hard-core gang members from the time they joined their gang until they eventually got out of gang life.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Anthropology, as a critical, self-reflective discipline, continues to evolve, and I expect it to stay relevant to our times.
Contact Info:
- Youtube: Embedded with MS-13
Image Credits
Personal photos
