Towards a framework of value driven political acculturation: A study of South Asian (im)migrants’ engagement with British politics

Abstract

light of the growing attention to recent political events and issues in the UK, there has been an increase interest in the questions surrounding the political engagement of South Asian (im)migrants’ and their political alignment (Dowling, 2021; Alabrese et al., 2019; Ehsan, 2017). To extend previous research, the aim of this thesis is to advance and provide a nuanced understanding of the South Asian (im)migrants’ disposition and expression of ethnic values that lead to their acculturative political orientation, which is quintessentially needed for their acculturative behaviour within the British society. As a result, this thesis focus on South Asian (im)migrants’ involvement with Brexit debate and other relevant political and economic developments. Specifically, it looks at the role of values and extrinsic influences where the findings show that the nature and outcome of acculturative orientation within the realm of local politics can be conceptualised as the 3C’s: compelled by ideology, conformation underpinned by self-interest and complexity with caveats. This research also argues that the phases of (im)migrant’s acculturative journey are non-static in nature. They are subjected to change as individuals undergone a phase of exposure, experience and evolution in their socio-cultural, digital, political and economic positions. Finally, a 2x2 matrix were constituted where ethnic (im)migrants’ expression and engagement within the realm of local politics can be classified into four types of typology: politically embracive, politically sensitive, politically reticent and politically separated. This research employs the phenomenon of value-driven identity as a dynamic approach to understand South Asian (im)migrants’ acculturative political orientation and journey in the host society.