Panjabis in Britain: Cultural History and Cultural Choices

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic research among the Panjabi diaspora, especially in Coventry, a British Midlands city, this paper argues for the significance of cultural interfaces, and of subjects' awareness of these, to the understanding of cultural transmission. Choices between cultural alternatives, from within and without the Panjabi repertoire, are apparent in subjects' reports of the changes they experience and the decisions they make. These are examined in association with five 'strands' of culture. In each case it is noted whether the cultural interface concerned is one of generation, faith tradition, ethnicity, caste or some other line of fracture. These instances suggest a conscious redrawing of cultural boundaries. They are considered in three contexts: Panjab prior to the emigration of subjects' families to Britain; contemporary Britain; and Panjab since the migration to Britain. By relating these contexts to the interfaces identified above, the differing configurations of cultural transmission and adaptation among Panjabis in Britain can be better understood.

Concerted cultivation as a racial parenting strategy: race, ethnicity and middle-class Indian parents in Britain

“…In their study on minority ethnic families, Beishon, Modood and Virdee, (1998) found that alongside popular activities such as sports and music lessons, some British Indian children engaged in Indian cultural activities such as learning Indian folk dance and languages which relate to their ethnic heritage. Others have shown that given the lack of provision within school curriculum, British Indian parents often seize upon opportunities such as language and religious history lessons offered by places of worship and community groups as a means for their children to foster positive ethnic group identities and garner an understanding of their ethnic background (Barn 2008;Beishon, Modood, and Virdee 1998;Nesbitt 1995). By identifying racial parenting ideologies vis-à-vis British Indian children's concerted cultivated through organised leisure, in this article we emphasise the need to look at race and class jointly in understanding educational strategies of parents.…”