Defining Sikhism: Boundaries of Religion and Ethnicity Among Sikhs in the US

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dc.contributor.advisorEcklund, Elaine Howarden_US
dc.contributor.advisorChavez, Sergioen_US
dc.creatorKhalsa, Simranjiten_US
dc.date.accessioned2017-08-02T16:37:29Zen_US
dc.date.available2017-08-02T16:37:29Zen_US
dc.date.created2016-05en_US
dc.date.issued2016-04-22en_US
dc.date.submittedMay 2016en_US
dc.date.updated2017-08-02T16:37:30Zen_US
dc.description.abstractU.S. immigration has brought rising numbers of non-western religious practitioners whose religious and ethnic identities are linked, and there has been a concurrent rise in white Americans converting to these faiths. Research on religious-ethnic traditions has not addressed how communities of white converts impact religious-ethnic traditions. I study this phenomena among US Sikhs, comparing members of two Sikh communities. I ask how they construct their Sikh identity and what boundaries they draw around this identity. I draw on participant observation and 31 in-depth interviews with both Indian Sikhs in Houston and members of Sikh Dharma, a predominantly white Sikh community. I find that respondents in each community draw on the same elements (symbols, practices, values) to construct Sikh identity, however, they diverge in regards to the specific practices they emphasize. Differences in religious practice become boundaries between respondents, separating Indian Sikhs and members of Sikh Dharma along both religious and ethnic lines. Furthermore, members of Sikh Dharma redefine both Sikh practice and the boundaries around Sikhism, despite the dissent of Indian Sikhs. Thus, my findings suggest that white practitioners of non-white religious-ethnic traditions have outsized agency in defining Sikhism for themselves and the broader American public.en_US
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_US
dc.identifier.citationKhalsa, Simranjit. "Defining Sikhism: Boundaries of Religion and Ethnicity Among Sikhs in the US." (2016) Master’s Thesis, Rice University. <a href="https://hdl.handle.net/1911/96200">https://hdl.handle.net/1911/96200</a>.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/1911/96200en_US
dc.language.isoengen_US
dc.rightsCopyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.en_US
dc.subjectReligionen_US
dc.subjectethnicityen_US
dc.subjectSikhismen_US
dc.subjectimmigrationen_US
dc.subjectboundary worken_US
dc.titleDefining Sikhism: Boundaries of Religion and Ethnicity Among Sikhs in the USen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.materialTexten_US
thesis.degree.departmentSociologyen_US
thesis.degree.disciplineSocial Sciencesen_US
thesis.degree.grantorRice Universityen_US
thesis.degree.levelMastersen_US
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Artsen_US
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