A Summary and Critique of Indian Diaspora: Sociology Report

This report provides a summary and critique of Ravindra K. Jain’s article on the Indian diaspora, globalization, and multiculturalism. The report analyzes the cultural dynamics of Indian diaspora communities globally, emphasizing the impact of globalization and multiculturalism. It highlights the differences between the cultures of diaspora communities and those in India, particularly in the context of colonial and post-colonial effects. The author's framework of a "field of forces" is discussed as a tool for sociological and cultural analysis. The report also touches upon the relationship between diaspora communities and fundamentalist movements, such as Hindutva and the Khalistani movement. The report is based on the provided academic references, discussing the key aspects of cultural integration, values, and the impact of globalization on the Indian diaspora. The report underscores the distinction between the cultures of Indian diaspora communities and those within India.

Running head: A SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE OF INDIAN DIASPORA
A Summary and Critique of Indian Diaspora
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1A SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE OF INDIAN DIASPORA
Summary and Critique
Ravindra K. Jain’s article Indian Diaspora, Globalization and Multiculturalism: A
Cultural Analysis is a unique endeavour which seeks to attempt to understand the cultural
dynamics of Indian diaspora communities all around the globe in the context of increasing
globalization and acceptance of multiculturalism as a world-outlook for many people. The
author explores how much the culture of such diaspora communities of ethnic Indians has
come to differ greatly with the culture of those Indians who reside within the Subcontinent
and how the cultural ties existing these diaspora communities and India is often imaginative
and nostalgic, even if these communities become integrated with the dominant culture of the
countries where they reside.
The paper is in itself quite comprehensive in terms of theorisation and structuration,
providing a distinction between the kinds of multiculturalism existing within India and in the
countries where Indians immigrate to (Prato, 2016). The author is able to successfully show
how globalization has affected the multiculturalism of India and other (most often, Western)
countries differently (Ramanathan, 2015). At the same time, the author is able to distinguish
between the colonial and post-colonial effects on Indian culture (Chandra & Majumdar,
2013), by tracing the colonial origins of Indian expatriate communities in other countries
(Lacroix, 2013) – most of which had been British colonies at one point of time. The author is
successful at showing how this colonial origin of most Indian diaspora communities has
influenced their cultural dynamics and distinction from the culture of India proper
The author posits that in order to objectively ascertain the cultural aspects of Indian
diaspora communities and to underscore their differences from the culture as it exists in their
country of origin, a “field of forces” of paradigm is essential to be established as a framework
of sociological and cultural analysis in order to draw definite conclusions about how the

2A SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE OF INDIAN DIASPORA
culture of such diaspora communities go on to shape their relationship with the society of the
countries where they reside and how it affects their notions about India and Indian culture.
The author concludes that there does exist a huge difference between the culture of
Indian diaspora communities and Indians residing within India proper, so much so that
diaspora communities – most of whom consist of Hindus and Sikhs – have found to be
supportive of fundamentalist movements such as Hindutva and the Khalistani movement
back in the country for who they often, simultaneously, profess loyalty.

3A SUMMARY AND CRITIQUE OF INDIAN DIASPORA
References
Prato, G. B. (2016). Introduction–Beyond multiculturalism: anthropology at the intersections
between the local, the national and the global. In Beyond Multiculturalism (pp. 13-32).
Routledge.
Ramanathan, V. (2015). Values, behaviour and identity: Acculturation of Indian immigrant
men in Australia. Journal of International Migration and Integration, 16(3), 625-638.
Chandra, U., & Majumder, A. (2013). Introduction. Selves and Society in Postcolonial India.
South Asia Multidisciplinary Academic Journal, (7).
Lacroix, T. (2013). Collective remittances and integration: North African and North Indian
comparative perspectives. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 39(6), 1019-1035.