Jasjit Singh

Sikh-ing online: the role of the Internet in the religious lives of young British Sikhs

Set in the context of a wider study of processes of religious transmission, this article examines the role of the Internet in the religious lives of young British Sikhs. Having explored the emergence of the presence of Sikhism online, data gathered through interviews, focus groups and a large scale online survey is analysed to understand how and why young British Sikhs use the Internet to learn about Sikhism and how the online environment may or may not impact on their ideas of religious tradition and authority. Using Campbells [2007. “Whos Got the Power? Religious Authority and the Internet.” Journal of Computer Mediated Communication 12 (3): 1043–1062] recommendation that any examination of the impact of the Internet on religious authority needs to be sufficiently contextualised, I argue that the effects of the online environment on traditional sources of religious authority are not as stark as scholars studying the early impact of the Internet suggest. Given that ‘going online’ has become an everyday practice for many young people living in Britain, this article contributes to understanding the online religious lives of young people in general, and young British Sikhs in particular.

Keeping the faith: reflections on religious nurture among young British Sikhs

Although young Sikhs are regularly accused of not attending gurdwara and not being interested in Sikhism, many young Sikhs are now learning about Sikhism outside traditional religious institutions. Using data gathered as part of a research project studying the transmission of Sikhism among 18- to 30-year-old British Sikhs, this essay explores how young Sikhs are learning about Sikhism in their pre-adult life stage. Examining the influences of the family and the school environment and the various methods used in gurdwaras, this essay offers a retrospective look on the ways in which young Sikhs are nurtured and socialised into Sikhism, providing an understanding from the perspective of young Sikhs themselves about which methods actually work and why.

A sense of place: Sikh identity in Great Britain and Hong Kong

Although evidence points to Sikhs being present on the day that Hong Kong became a British territory, Sikhs in Hong Kong remain a relatively unexamined group. Based on data gathered as part of a wider study of processes of religious transmission among young British Sikhs and on fieldwork carried out among the Sikh community in Hong Kong, this article follows Dusenberys (2008) studies of Sikhs around the world to focus on a) how Sikhs understand their place in their social world and b) how they respond to being a minority in every country in which they are resident. Examining the literature on Hong Kong Sikhs in relation to their status and position within wider Hong Kong society, I compare the contexts, issues and challenges faced by Sikhs in Hong Kong with those in Great Britain. The article demonstrates that although many Sikhs have links to the Punjab, local context and local imaginings impact on religious identity and citizenship.

Lost in translation? The emergence of the digital Guru Granth Sahib

ABSTRACT This article explores the impact of the digital online environment on the religious lives of Sikhs with a particular focus on the emergence of the ‘Digital Guru’, i.e. digital versions of the Guru Granth Sahib. Using data gathered through interviews and an online survey, I examine how the ‘Digital Guru’ is impacting on the transmission of the Sikh tradition and on Sikh religious authority. I then explore some of the issues faced in engaging with the ‘Digital Guru’ and the consequences of the emergence of online translations. Given that ‘going online’ has become an everyday practice for many, this article contributes to understandings of the impact of the online environment on the religious adherents in general, and on Sikhs in particular.

What ‘value’ South Asian arts in Britain?

Abstract This article examines the historical and contemporary articulation of the ‘value’ of South Asian Arts in Britain. Having examined the development of minority arts in Britain and in particular ‘South Asian Arts’, I examine how South Asian arts organisations have presented the ‘cultural value’ of these arts to funders and participants. Taking ‘cultural value’ to refer to the value associated with engaging with and participating in art and culture (Crossick and Kaszynska, 13) this article examines how South Asian arts in the British cultural and creative industries have been impacted by the ‘value’ agenda. I find that even though South Asian arts forms play an important role in enabling audiences who may rarely engage with the cultural industries to participate in relevant arts, South Asian arts organisations continue to be required to articulate their value primarily as part of a commitment to ‘diversity’.

The Voice(s) of British Sikhs

While undertaking research into the religious identities of young British Sikhs at a Sikh camp in London in 2007, I found them making enormous efforts to learn about the Sikh tradition. This was in stark contrast to statements I had often heard from the stages of gurdwaras (a Sikh place of worship; literally ‘the Guru’s house’), where speakers complained that young Sikhs were no longer interested in religion and were failing to maintain Sikh identity. The particular camp I attended attracted around 120 attendees, was held outside a gurdwara, and demonstrated little involvement from the older generation. The majority of the camp organisers and attendees were aged between 18 and 30 and were Britishborn, with the lectures and discussions being presented in English. These observations immediately raised a number of questions. How were these Sikh camps linked to established Sikh organisations? Apart from these camps, how were young British Sikhs engaging with Sikhism? And most specifically, why were young Sikhs organising events outside gurdwaras when a number of large purpose-built gurdwaras now exist across the United Kingdom?