Date of Award
4-2004
Degree Name
Master of Arts
Department
Anthropology
First Advisor
Dr. Robert Ulin
Second Advisor
Dr. Arthur Helweg
Third Advisor
Dr. Laura Spielvogel
Access Setting
Masters Thesis-Open Access
Abstract
Diaspora as a category is both useful and troublesome for researchers in the discipline of anthropology. It is useful, for it allows anthropologists to approach cultural studies from a position that recognizes flaws in the conception of culture as geographically bounded. Studying diasporic populations, therefore, enables anthropologists to apply new theoretical approaches to culture, without reifying and essentializing social practices. Conversely, using diaspora as a category can homogenize groups by glossing over differences in ethnicity, religion, and migratory expenence.
This study aims at bettering the understanding of diversity within a diasporic population by examining the role that religion plays in the imagining of cultural identity. By examining the construction of a diasporic identity among Sikhs living in Southwest Michigan, I demonstrate how historical, political and social processes interact and contribute to the imagining of a diasporic community. This study grounds theoretical arguments about how communities are imagined with field research conducted in the Kalamazoo area, to demonstrate that cultural identity is the product of the interplay between perceived history and current political events. Also, this study demonstrates the value of including religion and ethnicity in a discussion about how communities negotiate identity in a diasporic setting.
Recommended Citation
McCarthy, Rory G., "Understanding Ethno-Nationalism: Sikh Diasporic Imaginings in Southwest Michigan" (2004). Masters Theses. 3872.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/masters_theses/3872