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Satwinder Singh

Satwinder Singh

P: +353-1-4027129
E: satwinder.singh@dit.ie
Campus: Aungier Street

Research Topic: The Role of the Gurdwara in the Making of the Sikh Community in Ireland

The Gurdwara has always been a place of reverence for the Sikh community in India, but for Sikhs living outside of India, it has gained more prominence and diversified its role. Usually considered a place of worship in India, Gurdwaras in the west have transcended various boundaries to encompass a broad repertoire of sociocultural services. In a very basic sense, the Gurdwara is a meeting place - a physical and psychic space for new and established migrants to meet and discuss their problems and other issues. However, the role of the Gurdwara as a Sikh ‘public sphere’ has to date escaped the critical attention of social and photographic research in Ireland. In this project, I therefore explore the role of the Gurdwara in the making of a Sikh community in Ireland, documenting how the absence of established support systems and networks in the host country are overcome through the extension of activities in the Gurdwara. In 2005 Satwinder began working with the Irish Sikh Council developing anti-racist and intercultural events, organising educational outreach and acting as media spokesperson. Satwinder currently works as a research assistant to Dr Glenn Jordan on the FOMACS (Forum on Migration and Communications) photographic project ‘A Sikh Face in Ireland’.

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