Ethnic Identity Formation and Ritual Dynamics: an Analysis of First-Generation Asian Indian Immigrants in the Southern Plains Regions of the United States
ETHNIC IDENTITY FORMATION AND RITUAL DYNAMICS: AN ANALYSIS OF FIRST-GENERATION ASIAN INDIAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES By BASUDHARA SEN Bachelor of Arts in Sociology University of Calcutta Calcutta, West Bengal 2003 Master of Arts in Sociology University of Calcutta Calcutta, West Bengal 2005 Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY July, 2013 ETHNIC IDENTITY FORMATION AND RITUAL DYNAMICS: AN ANALYSIS OF FIRST-GENERATION ASIAN INDIAN IMMIGRANTS IN THE SOUTHERN PLAINS REGIONS OF THE UNITED STATES Dissertation Approved: Dr. J. David Knottnerus Dissertation Adviser Dr. Jean Van Delinder Dr. Tamara L. Mix Dr. Ravi Sheorey ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS My mind gets filled with names when I think about the people who have encouraged, guided, mentored, and prayed for the completion of my dissertation. I would like to express my deepest and sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. J. David Knottnerus, for his encouragement, patience, editing, and numerous discussions during my Ph.D. Thank you for mentoring, and the support you provided me since the first semester of my graduate study. I am grateful to my committee members, Drs. Jean Van Delinder, Tamara Mix, and Ravi Sheorey for their suggestions and assistance. Thank you, Dr. Van Delinder for introducing me to the wonderful literature on race and ethnicity. Your depth of knowledge always helped to improve my thinking. Thank you, Dr. Mix for training me to develop my teaching potential. You are a great inspiration. Thank you, Dr.
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