Conceptualizing Ethnicity and Acculturation of Second Generation Asian Indians in Britain

Abstract

This paper presents a preliminary study of the ethnicity and acculturation of second generation Asian Indians from the Punjabi community. It considers the conditions that have affected the acculturation of Punjabis within British society, and aims to highlight some of the distinct factors that concern them in relation to their roles, values, identities and behavioral patterns. The paper explores existing propositions with regard to culture and acculturation and emotional situational ethnicity with a view to developing our understanding of second generation Asian Indians living in Britain today. The paper conceptualizes acculturation and ethnicity within a model framework before examining the issues developed in the model through primary research amongst young people in the Punjabi community. We discuss the results from this research under the areas of ‘Essential Ethnicity’ Emotional Situational Ethnicity’ ‘Enforced Ethnicity’ and ‘Ethnic Security’, and finally discuss some of the implications of this exploratory study.