CASTE AND MARRIAGE AMONG THE SIKHS OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: OBSERVATIONS FROM A STATISTICAL ANALYSIS

This study examined the attitudes of Sikhs in southern California toward inter-caste marriages. It looked at numerous variables such as caste background, gender, income, education, and time spent in the USA and examined them quantitatively. Qualitative observations also buttressed discussion of the quantitative variables. The findings of this study show attainment of greater levels of education causes individuals to adopt a more liberal attitude toward inter-caste marriage. The ranking of a person in the caste hierarchy also played a significant role in shaping attitudes toward inter-caste marriage: individuals from highest and lowest positions in the caste hierarchy (Jats and Dalits, respectively) were tended to be less open to inter-caste marriages whereas those belonging to castes in the middle of the hierarchy had more liberal attitudes. Gender, income, and time spent in the USA had limited impact vis-à-vis the two variables mentioned previously in shaping one's attitude toward inter-caste marriage.