Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham

I examine the cultural lives, social relationships and ethnic identities of 16 to 20 year old Sikh females in Nottingham. Using an interview schedule, I interviewed my respondents individually and, in private. I present and analyse my findings within a framework which seeks to identify the major f...

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Main Author: Drury, Beatrice Denis
Format: Thesis (University of Nottingham only)
Language:English
Published: 1988
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11265/
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author Drury, Beatrice Denis
author_facet Drury, Beatrice Denis
author_sort Drury, Beatrice Denis
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description I examine the cultural lives, social relationships and ethnic identities of 16 to 20 year old Sikh females in Nottingham. Using an interview schedule, I interviewed my respondents individually and, in private. I present and analyse my findings within a framework which seeks to identify the major factors which can be said to influence the socio-cultural lives and identities of these 'second generation' Sikhs. These factors are either internal to their community (for example, caste membership) or, are externally imposed (for instance, racial prejudice and discrimination). In my framework, I also employ three theoretical concepts. These are 'situational ethnicity’, 'bi-culturalism' and 'social structural pluralism'. In examining my respondents' cultural norms and values, I ask three major questions. First, do they maintain, modify or abandon the Sikh religion and other (Punjabi) traditions? Second, are they acculturated into British norms and values? Third, do they experience 'culture conflict' and, if so, what strategies do they use to reconcile the divergent socio-cultural systems into which they are socialized? My enquiry into their social relationships entails an examination of the ethnic origins of their female friends and (future) spouses in order to establish whether they are socially encapsulated within their ethnic group at the primary group level of relationships. Finally, I focus on their self-defined identities; their perceptions of racial hostility and their perceptions of cultural differences between Sikhs and non-Sikhs in order to examine the extent to which they maintain a distinctive ethnic identity. Briefly, my findings indicate that although partial acculturation into British norms and values has indeed occurred, most Sikh traditions and a distinctive (Sikh) ethnic identity continue to survive in Nottingham. Furthermore, the continuation of endogamous marriages ensures that my respondents remain socially encapsulated. However, such encapsulation is far less pronounced in their friendship patterns.
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spelling nottingham-112652025-02-28T11:12:21Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11265/ Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham Drury, Beatrice Denis I examine the cultural lives, social relationships and ethnic identities of 16 to 20 year old Sikh females in Nottingham. Using an interview schedule, I interviewed my respondents individually and, in private. I present and analyse my findings within a framework which seeks to identify the major factors which can be said to influence the socio-cultural lives and identities of these 'second generation' Sikhs. These factors are either internal to their community (for example, caste membership) or, are externally imposed (for instance, racial prejudice and discrimination). In my framework, I also employ three theoretical concepts. These are 'situational ethnicity’, 'bi-culturalism' and 'social structural pluralism'. In examining my respondents' cultural norms and values, I ask three major questions. First, do they maintain, modify or abandon the Sikh religion and other (Punjabi) traditions? Second, are they acculturated into British norms and values? Third, do they experience 'culture conflict' and, if so, what strategies do they use to reconcile the divergent socio-cultural systems into which they are socialized? My enquiry into their social relationships entails an examination of the ethnic origins of their female friends and (future) spouses in order to establish whether they are socially encapsulated within their ethnic group at the primary group level of relationships. Finally, I focus on their self-defined identities; their perceptions of racial hostility and their perceptions of cultural differences between Sikhs and non-Sikhs in order to examine the extent to which they maintain a distinctive ethnic identity. Briefly, my findings indicate that although partial acculturation into British norms and values has indeed occurred, most Sikh traditions and a distinctive (Sikh) ethnic identity continue to survive in Nottingham. Furthermore, the continuation of endogamous marriages ensures that my respondents remain socially encapsulated. However, such encapsulation is far less pronounced in their friendship patterns. 1988 Thesis (University of Nottingham only) NonPeerReviewed application/pdf en arr https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11265/1/235688.pdf Drury, Beatrice Denis (1988) Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham. PhD thesis, University of Nottingham. Sikhs ethnic identity Nottingham
spellingShingle Sikhs
ethnic identity
Nottingham
Drury, Beatrice Denis
Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham
title Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham
title_full Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham
title_fullStr Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham
title_full_unstemmed Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham
title_short Ethnicity amongst second generation Sikh girls: a case study in Nottingham
title_sort ethnicity amongst second generation sikh girls: a case study in nottingham
topic Sikhs
ethnic identity
Nottingham
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/11265/