Gendered contours of contemporary South Asian religious practices in the context of migration: second-generation Jain women and men in Britain and USA

Abstract

Viewing religion through the social constructionist lens and adopting a ‘lived religion’ methodological approach, this article draws attention to the gendered contours of contemporary Jain practice. Though it is a non-theistic, non-institutionalised religion, gender differences are embedded within lay practice in India. In contrast, analysis of qualitative interviews conducted with fifty second-generation, middle and upper-middle class Jain women and men in Britain and USA reveals a gender convergence in patterns of everyday religious practice and performance. I argue that the social turn in late modern societies, together with dominance of neo-orthodox Jain approach amongst diasporic Jains facilitates this convergence. Further, shifting patterns of religious practices suggest that religion is an important site for the negotiation of gender identities in the context of migration. The construction of Jain religious selves enables both young Jain women and men to navigate multiple and contradictory femininities and masculinities, and to display more affective, relational and compassionate selves in late modern societies.

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ORCID for Bindi Shah: orcid.org/0000-0002-5571-9755

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