Being and becoming: Sindhis in Accra, Ghana

Download Statistics

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Rana, Nimrita Kaur (2020). Being and becoming: Sindhis in Accra, Ghana. University of Birmingham. Ph.D.

Preview

Rana2020PhD_Redacted.pdf
Text - Redacted Version
Available under License All rights reserved.
Download (3MB) | Preview

Abstract

This thesis explores cosmopolitanism as an ever-changing set of aspirations that Sindhis in Accra strive for in their everyday lives. The links of Indian diasporas to their homeland, either real or imaginary, has been the central focus of scholars seeking to understand the everyday lives and aspirations of Indians living outside of the sub-continent. Sindhis, however, lack access to an original homeland because it was lost during the Partition of India in 1947. Rather than lamenting its loss or trying to (re)create an alternative one, my research participants invest in becoming Sindhi, which for them means becoming cosmopolitan. However, their view of cosmopolitanism, their strategies for achieving it, and the investments that they make in it, are all shaped by the context in which they actually live. Their cosmopolitanism is thus local and distinctive, even as it aspires to transcend the perceived limitations of a particular place. By demonstrating this, the thesis also shows how cosmopolitan aspirations play a role in framing success in the professional and personal lives of people in diaspora.

Type of Work:

Thesis (Doctorates > Ph.D.)

Award Type:

Doctorates > Ph.D.

Supervisor(s):