Computer Culture and The Evolution of Sikh Courtship Rituals

This book explores the role of consumption in cultural change. While many recent studies highlight the significance of online dating and virtual communities within Western communities, this book provides a detailed exploration of the British Sikh sub-culture and how online dating has encouraged the evolution of their marital rituals within a Western context. Findings illustrated the substantial personalised identity conflicts that were encountered by young British Sikhs. The integration of Eastern and Western courtship rituals within the space of shaadi.com was a significant aspect of the experiential consumption of this site. Young British Sikhs engaged in a journey of hybrid identity discovery, empowered by the characteristics of shaadi.com culture, such as liminality and ritual transference. In conclusion a theorisation of this virtual space of hybrid identity negotiation in relation to the British Sikh community is proposed, suggesting four hybrid identity positions. The primary contribution of this study has been to introduce an understanding of how cultural change can be mediated by technology and conceptualise how the computer mediates Sikh courtship rituals.