British Sikh identity and the struggle for distinctiveness and continuity

Jaspal, R. ORCID: 0000-0002-8463-9519, 2013. British Sikh identity and the struggle for distinctiveness and continuity. Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology, 23 (3), pp. 225-239. ISSN 1052-9284

Preview

Text 1315815_Jaspal.pdf - Post-print Download (235kB) | Preview

Abstract

Sikhs constitute a high proportion of the ethnic minority population in Britain. Yet, social psychologists have largely neglected this demographically important religious group, leaving much of the theorising to anthropologists and sociologists. The present study explores how a group of British‐born Sikhs understood and defined their Sikh identities, focussing upon strategies for safeguarding the continuity and distinctiveness of this identity. Ten individuals were interviewed. Informed by identity process theory, the transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis. Three superordinate themes are reported, namely (i) "Freedom and gender equality": the 'essence' of Sikh identity; (ii) Continuing the legacy of the Gurus; and (iii) Maintaining group continuity and distinctiveness in a threatening social context. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed, particularly in relation to intergroup relations.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Journal of Community and Applied Social Psychology
Creators:	Jaspal, R.
Publisher:	Wiley
Date:	May 2013
Volume:	23
Number:	3
ISSN:	1052-9284
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1002/casp.2115 DOI 1315815 Other
Divisions:	Schools > School of Social Sciences
Record created by:	Linda Sullivan
Date Added:	16 Apr 2020 12:26
Last Modified:	16 Apr 2020 12:26
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/39654

Actions (login required)

Edit View

Views

Downloads