Sikh Punjabi

The Sikh Punjabi are adherents of Sikhism, which has its root in the Punjabi region of the greater Indian subcontinent. The Sikh have been identified as individuals who are of an ethnic orientation in different countries all over the world. However, the Sikhs are religious persons who have their culture attributed to the Indian Sikhism. The Sikhs are widespread din various countries all over the world. The individuals embrace their religion in different ways. The males who have been endorsed in the religion have the name Singh in their surnames, and the females have Kaur in their religions (Sikhs Across Borders, N.d). In most occasions these individuals are identified with their distinct form of dressing. The males dress in a turban around their kept hair and the clothes which they put on. Therefore, the Sikhs are a significant part of the world heritage. 

 In Canada, a multicultural state, there exists proportionate numbers of the Sikhs who live in the country. While some of them migrated to the country, there is a large number who have naturalized into citizens given their long existence in the country. The Canadian authorities define the Sikh Punjabi as an ethnicity in their census reports, therefore, various statistics have been conducted on the individuals. The Canadian Sikhs are attributed to being 1.4% of the Canadian population. The Punjabi adherents are only 470, 000 individuals (Sikhs Across Borders, N.d). They are also remarkably attributed to bringing in other visitors from southern Asia to the country and pioneering Sikhism in the neighboring United States.

Marital Structures

Mate selection

The Sikhs preferably marry within their religion according to the customs of their religion. The Sikhs have a unique form of mate selection. Even in the developed countries, the Sikhs keep heed to their religious norms. In mate selection, the parents of the boy and girl look for the suitable spouses for their children. The children are brought together and when the match does not work the selection process is started all over again (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d). Therefore, this form of mate selection has made the Sikhs stand out on their practices. Nonetheless, the Sikhs do not marry when the lady is underage, therefore, the select individuals who are of the marriage age according to their considerations to be married off.

Premarital Rites

The Sikhs have strict pre-marital rites. The spouses are not allowed to engage in sexual intercourse until the time when they are married. The engagement phases of the spouses an instrumental party which serves as the unity of the two families. At the time when the families have found the right matches for their children, or the children have found their correct matches, they introduce their families to one another (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d). The families are only supposed to meet during the engagement, and further connections are cut to allow for the spouses to get to know one another. Therefore, through the various avenues which are applicable in the society, it is notable that the Sikhs have a strict outlay of rules to help in making these spouses get to know each other more (Raising Children, N.d).

 On the other hand, the Canadian Sikhs have been affected by the current society whereby they socialize with various individuals who have different rights. This has influenced their contemporary characters. The urban Sikhs have a different form of belief in the religious norms and also how to carry out the process of marriage. Through the provision of a dating period, the Sikhs are allowed to date. The contemporary society also does not have a strict sexual guideline for the urban Sikhs. This has changed the premarital rights of those who live in the cities. The urban Sikhs are on the other hand of every great group which is flexible to change and influence from other ethnicities (Sikhs Across Borders, N.d).

Sexual expectation for both genders

 In the Sikh religion, the women and the men are ranked on a similar plane. The men and women of the religion are equal as the women are seen as the carriers of the tribe. Through the orientation of the society, it is possible to see that the Sikhs who live in Canada are toeing the line of the current society where gender sensitization has been a great topic. The children are treated in a similar manner whether a boy child or a girl child. Education is offered to them, and neon is seen as beneficial compared to the other (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d). The Sikhs have an excellent sexual orientation. Nonetheless, the religion does not expect the members to have homosexual traits. In the Canadian setup, the Sikhs are against the homosexual individuals as they consider homosexuality as a sin against their beliefs and orientations. Therefore, the Sikhs are strong believer of great systems in the society.

Engagement and wedding ceremonies

Notably, the Sikhs are individuals who have the freedom to look for their spouses. In most cases, the Sikhs are anticipated by the unity of their families at the stage of engagement. When one individual gets engaged to another, the family of the lady and the man come together to get to know each other well. The engagement ceremony is conducted after the family accords to the relationship of their children (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d). This also helps in starting a stable purpose of outlook into the actions of the specific spouses. The engagement parties are not necessary but are conducted usually a week to the wedding. According to the customs, they are carried out in the home of the male spouse (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d).

Weddings are held according to the considerations of the religion. The weddings are held in consideration to the laws of the Sikhs. The individuals believe that the weddings are instrumental in uniting the spouses in a partnership where each and every individual is equal. The religion does not account for any of the gender being superior therefore, the weddings are an equal partnership. According to the rules of the faiths, it is forbidden for the individuals to consult horoscopes so as to know their suitable wedding date. The weddings are therefore well planned by both of the families to ensure that there are no hitches and misunderstandings. Nonetheless, dowry payment is also prohibited by the religion (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d).  Marriage is seen as an institution which is not a business transaction. The dowries are viewed as business transactions. Therefore, the weddings of the Sikhs were anticipated by significant instances of discipline and strictness.

Multiple Marriages Polygamy and Exogamy

The Sikh religion has strict guidelines against polygamy; marriage is considered as monogamous. In the Canadian setup, despite influence from other religions, the Sikhs are still monogamous. Since the man and woman are regarded as equal, their marriage is considered as divine such that marrying another partner would break the customs of the society. Therefore, the Sikhs do not practice multiple marriages (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d).

 Exogamy is widely practiced in the Sikh society. The Sikhs are encouraged to get married to men who are outside their hometowns. This means that people cannot get married to their distant relatives but individuals who are incompletely linked to their families. On the other hand, in the case of the Sikhs who interact with the Muslims, they have adopted a system whereby they can marry with their cousins. Since the Muslim tradition allows for the marriage between cousins, the Sikhs who associate with them in Canada have also been led to carrying out a similar practice.

Class or Caste System

The Sikh customs state that the caste system is something which should not exist. However, there are various beliefs about the caste system in the contemporary Sikh society. While some argue that the systems exist, and all castes are equal, other argues that the castes do not exist at all (Sikh castes, N.d).

 The Canadian Sikhs have a visible caste system which is not mentioned. Despite the fact that the religion talks of the entire society being equal despite their contributions to the society, the caste system in involuntarily practiced (Sikh castes, N.d).Through interactions, the individuals who have got significant achievements in the society join the general class systems of the society, and they get onto the castes. This will go a long way into making the Sikhs start driving themselves according to the contribution and the threshold which they have. Therefore the caste system, despite being silently practiced, is openly denied by the Sikhs.

Family Practices

The Sikh have strict family practices. As a religion which advocates for equality, there are no divisions in the family in gender lines. Therefore, the members of a family are encouraged to carry out their responsibilities to the family according to their schedules. When an individual is brought up in a family, they are obliged to help the family in its duties. The family is viewed as a fundamental entity in the society. The urban set up has a provision of individuals who look at the family aspect in a modern way. The males are defined as the breadwinners of the family similar to the contemporary set up. Nonetheless, the families encourage one another to carry out specific functions (Raising Children, N.d).The families have special programs which should be adhered to by the members. Therefore, the Sikh families are closely knit and trying in making them have the best in their activities.

Family Practices

Childbearing and rearing

Childbearing is ranked as among the best things in the Sikh religions. Children are seen as a gift to the society. The unborn children are protected in their mothers’ wombs and their families constantly help the pregnant women to deliver well (Raising Children, N.d). After the children have been delivered, the Sikhs believe in strict practices which assist in bringing up the children in better ways. The children are welcomed into the family with various ceremonies which help the members of the family to bond with the children. The children also have a naming ceremony which is carried out to give them names as decided by the family. The spiritual naming ceremony of the children is also made. 

 Once the children have been named, the Sikhs believe in a routine which is effective in raising their children. The children are raised in various ways which as telling them stories and teaching them about the spiritual aspect of the religion. The spiritual dimension of the religion aids in making the children better individuals in the society. Therefore, the Sikhs have a better intervention at raising the children (Raising Children, N.d). For the working families, children are raised through support groups and daycares where they are well treated and taught about the religions. Religious nurturing is an important factor for all of the children in the family.

Parenting Functions disciplinary approaches to parenting

Parents in the Sikh religion are charged with a great responsibility of bringing up their children in the best ways possible. The Sikhs believe in the discipline to the religion and adherence to their customs. Therefore, the parents train their children to form a young age to respect the religion and act in consideration to the faith. To ensure that the children are disciplined and well mannered, the children are taught about religion and taken to various functions which help to ameliorate their disciplinary comprehension (Raising Children, N.d).
When the children go contrary to the religious expectations, they are disciplined in appropriate manners which will guide the change that they will adopt in consideration to the culture. Culture, therefore, plays a critical role in making the society become a better place.

Influences of culture and social class, gender roles and socialization for the parent-child relationship

 The changing culture of the contemporary society has had significant impacts in child rearing in the religion. The manner in which the Sikhs react with the outside society has guided the change in their religious considerations. The Sikhs have changed their manner of educating the children to follow the Canadian system of education so that they can achieve the ultimate goal of integrating into the society well (Raising Children, N.d). Through this, there has been a class formation in the society. The classes have led to different ways in which the parents and children interact. There is a class of busy individuals who do not have the time to interact with their children. Therefore, through the various activities which the parents do, they do not participate directly in raising their children. The children are raised in the day schools and by nannies that take care of them. Therefore, the current society has changed the way in which the society perceives the Sikhs. The Sikhs have limited interaction with their children thus a poor child-parent foundation (Raising Children, N.d).

 Nonetheless, socialization with other cultures has also changed the way in which parents and their children interact. The children seek to become more independent like their white counterparts whom they interact with in the schools and other social joints. This has changed the way in which the Sikhs and their parents relate. The society has had significant effect on the relationship of the individuals.

Parent-child relationship for this particular ethnic group

 Despite the changing phases of the society, the Sikhs have been maintaining their culture. The parents and their children are still tightly knit as per the recommendations of their culture. The Sikhs ensure that they have a high communication channel for their children (Raising Children, N.d). Since the children are viewed to be the individuals who will take after the parent, they are treated in better ways and are also brought close to the parents to ensure that they learn about the businesses which the family runs. In the culture, it is rare to find individual owned business. Organizations are belonging to families to support them in various ways. Therefore, the specific ethnic society encourages tight binding of the parents and their children.

Issues and Challenges

In the contemporary society, the Sikhs stand to face numerous challenges. The diverse societies segregate on the Sikhs due to their strict adherence to their culture, the culture of the individuals is an excellent piece which has been a center of controversy over the recent years (Religion, Gender and Sexuality, N.d). The beliefs of the Sikhs and how they bring up their families has been discriminated upon by the members of the society. However, the Sikhs are also ranked s too hostile for other religions since they do not interact well with individuals from the other religions. Therefore, segregation stands as the only challenge to the members of the religion

 In conclusion, Punjabi Sikhs in the Canada hold a high culture and history of the country. The Sikhs are credited with a large degree of cultural strictness and religious observance. The Sikhs believe in various systems which make them have a better form of life. Sikhism in the contemporary society, therefore, is well developed and leads to better lives.

References

Raising Children. (N.d). Retrieved from http://www.wahegurunet.com/raising-children

Sikh castes. (N.d) Retrieved from http://www.sikhcastes.com/

Religion, Gender and Sexuality in Real Life (N.d) Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=q-rsCwAAQBAJ&pg=PT72&lpg=PT72&dq=sikhs+sexual+expectation+for+both+genders&source=bl&ots=67Tnf5yFBO&sig=PfWPuN3kzTm-U_mV5Y–6sJhifw&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sikhs%20sexual%20expectation%20for%20both%20genders&f=false

Sikhs across Borders: Transnational Practices of European Sikhs. (N.d) Retrieved from https://books.google.co.ke/books?id=ZdZLAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA83&lpg=PA83&dq=sikhs+in+Canada+mate+selection&source=bl&ots=nq3t9MwvsB&sig=UHc8khm0gruG6PzdF70rKhafulo&hl=en&sa=X&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=sikhs in Canada mate selection