Caste and Identity Processes among British Sikhs in the Midlands

Abstract

This article examines the role of caste in the lives and identities of a small sample of young Sikhs in the English Midlands, using social psychological theory. In many academic writings, there is an implicit representation of caste as a negative aspect of South Asian culture and religion, and of caste identification as a means of oppressing vulnerable outgroups. Twenty-three young Sikhs were interviewed, and the qualitative data were analysed using Identity Process Theory. The following themes are discussed: (i) Caste as a Dormant Social Category, (ii) Anchoring the Caste Ingroup to Positive Social Representations, and (iii) Caste as an Inherent or Constructed Aspect of Identity? It is argued that neither caste nor caste-based prejudice appear to be prominent in the lives and identities of our interviewees but that, because caste is an important symbolic aspect of identity which can acquire salient in particular contexts, some Sikhs may wish to maintain this identity though endogamy. What is understood as caste-based prejudice can be better understood in terms of the downward comparison principle in social psychology. The implications for caste legislation are discussed

Social and political activism amongst British Sikhs: Responses to issues of equality and human rights – a new way forward?

“…The findings of our research further confirm the complexity of how caste operates at a practical level amongst the Sikhs, specifically British Sikhs in the context of the research we undertook. Contrary to popular understandings of caste, identification with a caste is not synonymous with caste-based prejudice and discrimination (Jaspal and Takhar 2016).…”

“…His argument largely focuses on the problematic issues relating to the legal framework within which the legislation is positioned.Interestingly, his discussion gives credence to the anti-caste-legislation attitudes and draws on extended ethnographic research on Hindu and Sikh perspectives. His work echoes a number of the concerns put forward by the Sikh Council UK in emphasizing that caste discrimination is not an issue in the UK (for a detailed insight into the Sikh Council UK's views, see Jaspaland Takhar 2016). Another report, which in many ways supports the Sikh Council's conviction that caste plays no role amongst British Sikhs, is the British Sikh Report (BSR) 2013 3 which has been produced annually since 2013 to provide an overview of the needs andchallenges faced by the British Sikh community.…”

“…In order to make sense of the role, if any, played by caste amongst Sikhs, I took part in a social psychological study by interviewing young British Sikhs in order to gather qualitative data on a number of themes relating to how they identified themselves (Jaspal and Takhar 2016). We used the Identity Process Theory, which explores the protection of identity at an individual level (see Breakwell 1986) to analyse the responses we gathered.…”

Punjabi masculinities and transnational spaces: Performance, choice and othering

“…My analysis in the current article is therefore grounded in the existing literature on Punjabi masculinities and partly in Identity Process Theory. Identity Process Theory postulates various motivational principles that help guide identity construction in individuals (Breakwell, 1986; Jaspal, 2011; Jaspal & Takhar, 2016; Vignoles et al., 2000). Specifically, I delineate some of the guiding ‘identity principles’ as they are employable and seem relevant to the hegemonic principles of masculinities in a transnational context such as (i) continuity, (ii) distinctiveness and (iii) belonging (Jaspal & Takhar, 2016, p. 90; see also Jaspal, 2011).…”

Social Identity Theory

“…The downward comparison principle, which is derived from SIT, suggests that individuals compare their ingroup with outgroups on dimensions in which they will perform favorably. For instance, in recent research into caste identity among Indians (Jaspal & Takhar, 2016), it was found that members of traditionally "lower" caste groups often accentuated tenets of their caste group that could differentiate it positively from groups traditionally regarded as being "higher" in the caste hierarchy. In political contexts, human beings are thus motivated to attenuate negative aspects of their ingroup's history, which has been starkly demonstrated in contexts of national guilt surrounding ingroup atrocities, for instance (Branscombe & Doosje, 2004).…”