British Sikh entrepreneurs: Social mobility and transformations over generations

ABSTRACT

We came with £3 in our pocket but with hard work and Waheguru's kirpa [God's blessing] we are now playing in millions [lakhan wich khailde haan].

The above quote from an 81-year-old Sikh woman encapsulates the essence of the research reported in this article. The study focuses on factors that have contributed to the socio-economic success and relative upward social mobility of British Sikh families. The research develops an original methodology: bilingual-bicultural ethnography, to analyse and document the perspectives and experiences of three generations of Sikh families. The findings focus on family trajectories of Sikh entrepreneurs.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 This is one of the five articles of faith for Sikhs. For further information, see http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/Kara.