Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Nationalism, Religion and the Search for Chosen Traumas: Comparing Sikh and Hindu identity construction

Kinnvall, Catarina LU (2002) In Ethnicities 2(1). p.79-106
Abstract
This article proceeds from the argument that various forces of globalization have resulted in increased dislocation and uncertainty for many people in the world. Religion and nationalism, compared to most other identity constructions, are viewed as particularly relevant organizing principles at a time when modern society is making increasing demands on individuals. In comparison to much constructivist research, however, the article discusses the difficulties in understanding religious identity formation and nationhood without taking into consideration the sociopsychological aspects of category formation and the essentialization of the 'other'. To clarify the discussion, an illustrative study of religious nationalism in India is made, with... (More)
This article proceeds from the argument that various forces of globalization have resulted in increased dislocation and uncertainty for many people in the world. Religion and nationalism, compared to most other identity constructions, are viewed as particularly relevant organizing principles at a time when modern society is making increasing demands on individuals. In comparison to much constructivist research, however, the article discusses the difficulties in understanding religious identity formation and nationhood without taking into consideration the sociopsychological aspects of category formation and the essentialization of the 'other'. To clarify the discussion, an illustrative study of religious nationalism in India is made, with a particular focus on, and comparison of, Sikh and Hindu religious nationalism. I show how, in their search for 'chosen traumas', similar processes of categorizing and demonizing the 'other' have been prevalent in both the Sikh and Hindu cases. However, while Hindus were (and are) successful in fusing nationalist and religious concerns in their attempts to monopolize both sources of self and identity, Sikhs have been less successful in integrating the two. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
nationalism, religion, India, Hindus, Sikhs
in
Ethnicities
volume
2
issue
1
pages
79 - 106
publisher
SAGE Publications
external identifiers
  • scopus:0038477982
ISSN
1468-7968
DOI
10.1177/1469682002002001523
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
3786290d-c90a-4078-bd13-f565ec09a7e5 (old id 156381)
alternative location
http://etn.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/2/1/79
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 11:37:54
date last changed
2022-02-25 19:02:06
@article{3786290d-c90a-4078-bd13-f565ec09a7e5,
  abstract     = {{This article proceeds from the argument that various forces of globalization have resulted in increased dislocation and uncertainty for many people in the world. Religion and nationalism, compared to most other identity constructions, are viewed as particularly relevant organizing principles at a time when modern society is making increasing demands on individuals. In comparison to much constructivist research, however, the article discusses the difficulties in understanding religious identity formation and nationhood without taking into consideration the sociopsychological aspects of category formation and the essentialization of the 'other'. To clarify the discussion, an illustrative study of religious nationalism in India is made, with a particular focus on, and comparison of, Sikh and Hindu religious nationalism. I show how, in their search for 'chosen traumas', similar processes of categorizing and demonizing the 'other' have been prevalent in both the Sikh and Hindu cases. However, while Hindus were (and are) successful in fusing nationalist and religious concerns in their attempts to monopolize both sources of self and identity, Sikhs have been less successful in integrating the two.}},
  author       = {{Kinnvall, Catarina}},
  issn         = {{1468-7968}},
  keywords     = {{nationalism; religion; India; Hindus; Sikhs}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{79--106}},
  publisher    = {{SAGE Publications}},
  series       = {{Ethnicities}},
  title        = {{Nationalism, Religion and the Search for Chosen Traumas: Comparing Sikh and Hindu identity construction}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/1469682002002001523}},
  doi          = {{10.1177/1469682002002001523}},
  volume       = {{2}},
  year         = {{2002}},
}