Turbans vs helmets: The conflict between the mandatory wearing of protective head-gear and the freedom of religious expression

Spennemann, Dirk H. R.

doi:10.1080/17448727.2020.1804197

Cited by 3 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…This dissonance sets up a potential for conflict between the cultural expectations of Sikh men and the occupational health and safety regulations promulgated by individual companies and organizations or national legislation. This dissonance also plays out in the arena of adventure outdoor recreation activities [5].…”

Section: Social Relevance Of the Narrative Reviewmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Turbans and unshorn hair are an outward symbol of the Sikh faith and are important marks of a Sikh male's identity. Decorative turbans, usually wound from a one-meter wide and five-meter long piece of lightweight fabric, have brought Sikhs in perpetual conflict with dress standards imposed by corporations or governmental instrumentalities in many countries worldwide [5]. While many of these conflicts could be resolved on the grounds that they violate the freedom of religious expression, the mandatory wearing of protective headwear ('hard hat', 'helmet') is a more intractable matter.…”

Section: Social Relevance Of the Narrative Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While many of these conflicts could be resolved on the grounds that they violate the freedom of religious expression, the mandatory wearing of protective headwear ('hard hat', 'helmet') is a more intractable matter. According to Sikh religious practices, Sikhs may not cover their hair by any form of headwear other than a turban, and a turban may not be covered by any additional head coverings placed on top of it [5]. This practice effectively prevents practising Sikh men not only from wearing caps and hats but also from wearing protective helmets (as they are considered a form of a cap).…”

Section: Social Relevance Of the Narrative Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Turbans vs. Helmets: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature on Head Injuries and Impact Loci of Cranial Trauma in Several Recreational Outdoor Sports

Spennemann

2021

Sports

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When in public, faith-based mandates require practising Sikh men to wear a turban which may not be covered by hats or caps. This makes it impossible for practising Sikhs to wear helmets and other protective headwear, mandatory in many countries and facilities for engagement in recreational pursuits (e.g., skiing) and on adventure outdoor recreation camps mandatorily run for school groups. The result is often social exclusion and ostracisation in the case of school children. Despite studies into the efficacy of protective helmets in some recreational outdoor activity settings, virtually nothing is known about the protective potential of turbans. This paper systematically reviews the extant literature on head injuries in several recreational outdoor activities and sports sectors (aerial, water, winter, wheeled and animal-based sports) and finds that the extant literature is of limited value when trying to understand the spatial distribution of trauma on the cranial surface. As the data do not permit to make inferences on the protective potential of turbans, future systematic, evidence-based epidemiological studies derived from hospital admissions and forensic examinations are required. Failure to do so perpetuates social exclusion and discrimination of religious grounds without an evidentiary basis for defensible public health measures.

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Section: Social Relevance Of the Narrative Reviewmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: Social Relevance Of the Narrative Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Social Relevance Of the Narrative Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Turbans vs. Helmets: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature on Head Injuries and Impact Loci of Cranial Trauma in Several Recreational Outdoor Sports

Spennemann

2021

Sports

Self Cite

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“…More recently, following migration and settlement to diverse conditions outside Punjab, Sikhs have sustained and adapted their faith within new environments, meeting the challenges of assimilation by advocating and raising awareness of Sikh issues and rights in the wider society. Examples include removing restrictions on wearing the turban in the work environment and exemption from wearing protective headgear while riding motorbikes or bicycles (Spennemann 2020).…”

Section: Transformative-speaking Truth To Powermentioning

confidence: 99%

Autoethnography: A Potential Method for Sikh Theory to Praxis Research

Kaur-Bring

2020

Religions

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The application of autoethnographic research as an investigative methodology in Sikh studies may appear relatively novel. Yet the systematic analysis in autoethnography of a person’s experience through reflexivity and connecting the personal story to the social, cultural, and political life has synergy with the Sikh sense-making process. Deliberation (vichhar) of an individual’s experience through the embodied wisdom of the Gurū (gurmat) connecting the lived experience to a greater knowing and awareness of the self is an established practice in Sikhi. This article explores autoethnography as a potential research method to give an academic voice to and capture the depth of the lived experiences of Sikhs: first, by articulating the main spaces of synergy of autoethnography with gurmat vichhar; second, discussing common themes such as inclusivity of disregarded voices, accessibility to knowledge creation, relational responsibility, and integrity in storytelling common to both autoethnography and gurmat vichhar. In conclusion, the autoethnographic approach has the means to illuminate nuances in understanding Sikhi that is transformative and familiar to the ancestral process of how Sikhs have made sense of themselves and the world around them.

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“…Despite studies into the efficacy of protective helmets while riding 'two-wheelers,' however, there is only a limited number of observational studies on the protective potential of turbans. This paper was conceptualised during background research into how the cultural mandate to wear turbans meshes with the legal requirements to wear protective head gear during work and recreational pursuits [5] . It was assumed that data on the relative performance of turbans as protective head gear would be readily available in the Indian literature given the volume of research carried out on two-wheeler accidents in the country.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Turbans Provide Protection Against Cranial Trauma in Two-Wheeler Accidents? A Review of the Indian Medical Literature

Dirk HR Spennemann

2020

Indian Journal of Forensic Medicine & Toxicology

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The wearing of turbans or head scarves is mandatory for practising Sikh men and women. Religious mandates stipulate that nothing may be placed on top of the turban (scarf), thus making it impossible for practicing Sikhs to wear protective motorcycle helmets. To honour the freedom of religious expression, many jurisdictions, including India, have exempted Sikhs from mandatory helmet laws. Despite studies into the efficacy of protective helmets while riding 'two-wheelers,' little is known about the protective potential of turbans. This paper represents a review of Indian literature (277 studies) related to head injuries sustained in road traffic accidents involving two-wheelers. This review shows that the extant literature is of limited value when trying to understand the extent of the protective potential of turbans and that systematic, evidence-based epidemiological studies derived from hospital admissions and forensic examinations are required.

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Turbans vs helmets: The conflict between the mandatory wearing of protective head-gear and the freedom of religious expression

Cited by 3 publications

References 76 publications

Turbans vs. Helmets: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature on Head Injuries and Impact Loci of Cranial Trauma in Several Recreational Outdoor Sports

Turbans vs. Helmets: A Systematic Narrative Review of the Literature on Head Injuries and Impact Loci of Cranial Trauma in Several Recreational Outdoor Sports

Autoethnography: A Potential Method for Sikh Theory to Praxis Research

Do Turbans Provide Protection Against Cranial Trauma in Two-Wheeler Accidents? A Review of the Indian Medical Literature

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