Sikh Identity

Sikh Identity PDF Author: Opinderjit Kaur Takhar
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351900102
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Book Description
It is commonly assumed that all Sikhs are the same, but the very existence of different groups who have varying beliefs and practices within the Sikh community shows that a corporate identity for the Sikh community is not possible and serves to alienate a substantial proportion of Sikhs from the overall fold of the Sikh faith. Introducing the beliefs and practices of a range of individual Sikh groups, this book addresses the issue of Sikh identity across the Sikh community as a whole but from the viewpoint of different types of Sikh. Examining the historical development of Sikhism from the period of Guru Nanak to the present day, the author takes an in-depth look at five groups in the Sikh community - the Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha; the Namdharis; the Ravidasis; the Valmikis; and the Sikh Dharma of the Western hemisphere (associated with the Healthy, Happy, Holy Organization - 3HO). Their history, beliefs and practices are explored, as well as their diverse and shared identities. Concluding that there is no authoritative yardstick with which to assess the issue of Sikh identity, the author highlights Sikhism's links to its Hindu past and suggests a federal Sikh identity with one or two fundamental beliefs at the core and individual groups left to express their own unique beliefs and practices.

Who is a Sikh?

Who is a Sikh? PDF Author: W. H. McLeod
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN:
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 158

Book Description
What is Sikhism and who is a Sikh? This book surveys the history of the sect, showing how various circumstances influenced the criteria by which people could be identified. One belief is that Sikhism is the complete acceptance of the teachings of the tenth Guru, Gobind Singh. According to the tradition, a true Sikh must be of the Khalsa, the community founded by Guru Singh; yet, there are many who belong to families with a Khalsa heritage but no longer observe the tradition in its full rigor. And, there are many others who regard themselves as Sikhs but do not follow the discipline of the Khalsa, such as the so-called Sahaj-dhari Sikhs. McLeod examines these discrepansies and disagreements, offering a new discussion and analysis of who and what defines Sikhism.

Who is a Sikh?

Who is a Sikh? PDF Author: W. H. McLeod
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 9780195664478
Category : Sikhism
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
This book surveys the history of the Sikh people, showing how various circumstances influenced the criteria by which people could be identified as Sikhs. McLeod concludes by asking and answering the question presented in the title, the response to which is of relevance to Sikhs all over the world.

Sikh Identity

Sikh Identity PDF Author: Pashaura Singh
Publisher: Manohar Publishers
ISBN: 9788173044014
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 404

Book Description
Papers presented at an international conference in 1996.

Sikh Nationalism

Sikh Nationalism PDF Author: Gurharpal Singh
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 100921344X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 279

Book Description
This important volume provides a clear, concise and comprehensive guide to the history of Sikh nationalism from the late nineteenth century to the present. Drawing on A. D. Smith's ethno-symbolic approach, Gurharpal Singh and Giorgio Shani use a new integrated methodology to understanding the historical and sociological development of modern Sikh nationalism. By emphasising the importance of studying Sikh nationalism from the perspective of the nation-building projects of India and Pakistan, the recent literature on religious nationalism and the need to integrate the study of the diaspora with the Sikhs in South Asia, they provide a fresh approach to a complex subject. Singh and Shani evaluate the current condition of Sikh nationalism in a globalised world and consider the lessons the Sikh case offers for the comparative study of ethnicity, nations and nationalism.

The Birth of the Khalsa

The Birth of the Khalsa PDF Author: Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh
Publisher: State University of New York Press
ISBN: 0791482669
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 251

Book Description
A feminist reconsideration of Sikh identity, discussing its original egalitarianism and current hypermasculine quality, which is harmful to both men and women.

Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age

Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age PDF Author: Giorgio Shani
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1134101880
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 234

Book Description
Sikh Nationalism and Identity in a Global Age examines the construction of a Sikh national identity in post-colonial India and the diaspora and explores the reasons for the failure of the movement for an independent Sikh state: Khalistan. Based on a decade of research, it is argued that the failure of the movement to bring about a sovereign, Sikh state should not be interpreted as resulting from the weakness of the ‘communal’ ties which bind members of the Sikh ‘nation’ together, but points to the transformation of national identity under conditions of globalization. Globalization is perceived to have severed the link between nation and state and, through the proliferation and development of Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs), has facilitated the articulation of a transnational ‘diasporic’ Sikh identity. It is argued that this ‘diasporic’ identity potentially challenges the conventional narratives of international relations and makes the imagination of a post-Westphalian community possible. Theoretically innovative and interdisciplinary in approach, it will be primarily of interest to students of South Asian studies, political science and international relations, as well as to many others trying to come to terms with the continued importance of religious and cultural identities in times of rapid political, economic, social and cultural change.

Racialization, Islamophobia and Mistaken Identity

Racialization, Islamophobia and Mistaken Identity PDF Author: Jagbir Jhutti-Johal
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351138847
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 151

Book Description
Exploring the issue of Islamophobic attacks against Sikhs since 9/11, this book explains the historical, religious and legal foundations and frameworks for understanding race hate crime against the Sikh community in the UK. Focusing on the backlash that Sikhs in the UK have faced since 9/11, the authors provide a theological and historical backdrop to Sikh identity in the global context, critically analysing the occurrences of Islamophobia since 9/11, 7/7 and most recently post-Brexit, and how British Sikhs and the British government have responded and reacted to these incidents. The experiences of American Sikhs are also explored and the impact of anti-Sikh sentiment upon both these communities is considered. Drawing on media reporting, government policies, the emerging body of inter-disciplinary scholarship, and empirical research, this book contributes to the currently limited body of literature on anti-Sikh hate crime and produces ideas for policy makers on how to rectify the situation. Providing a better understanding of perceptions of anti-Sikh sentiment and its impact, this book will of interest to scholars and upper-level students working on identity and hate crime, and more generally in the fields of Religion and Politics, Cultural Studies, Media Studies, and International Studies.

Sikh Identity

Sikh Identity PDF Author: Pashaura Singh
Publisher: Manohar Publishers and Distributors
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 408

Book Description
Sikhs Have Struggled With Questions Of Identity For Over Five Centries. Various Events During This Century Have Forced Sikhs In The Punjab And Diaspora To Rethink Assumptions And Relationships Both Within The Community And Outside. Papers In The Volume Address The Core Issue Of Sikh Identity And Are Organized In Three Sections. Section One Deals With Issues Relating To Symbols Of Identity And Sikh Tradition; Section Two Relates To Recent Sikh History And Issues Of Identity And Section Three Addresses Political, Social Issues And Contemporary Sikh Identity. An Glossary Of Punjabi Terms And Index Help The Reader Better Understand The Presentation.

Graceful Women

Graceful Women PDF Author: Constance Waeber Elsberg
Publisher: Univ. of Tennessee Press
ISBN: 9781572332140
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 414

Book Description
A number of religious movements were born in the United States in the 1970s as refugees from the counterculture sought new ways of living. In 1969 in Los Angeles, teacher Yogi Bhajan founded the Healthy Happy Holy Organization (3HO) and dedicated it to yoga and healthy living. Many members began to convert to Sikhism, Bhajan's faith, and soon the group numbered in the thousands. Graceful Women is the first look at the women who embraced this community as they sought meaning in their lives. Constance Waeber Elsberg follows members of an ashram over an extended period of time--from affiliation, through their first attempts to apply the teachings of 3HO to everyday life, through upheavals and doubts in the community, and finally, to mature formulations of their own purpose and identity. Both long-term and former members speak about the group and the process of adopting Sikhism and participating in such cultural practices as arranged marriages. In studying this group, Elsberg found women building individual and collective identities and using symbols, narratives, and metaphors to participate in a view of the world that stresses an essential unity beneath the conflicts of contemporary life. A regimen including yoga, meditation, and diet helped the women feel that they could control their responses to everyday stress and manage difficult decisions. A central focus of the book is the Sikh Dharma ideal of the "graceful woman" and the ways in which this concept both empowers and constrains women. Women are free to choose their degree of engagement in the public sphere: some build careers, some are active in the 3HO community, some dedicate their lives to their families. Work in community businesses allows many women to combine family and work lives. Curtailing this freedom of choice, however, is 3HO's teaching that women should also be gracious, undemanding, and willing to defer to those in authority. Elsberg places this movement in the context of other alternative religious organizations and provides a brief history of Sikhism, as well as reviewing events concerning Sikhs today. She explores the range of ways in which gender identities are created, transformed, and contested, particularly as a religion from one part of the world is adopted in a completely different country and culture. The Author: Constance Waeber Elsberg is professor of sociology and anthropology at Northern Virginia Community College.