A socio-historical and ethnographic study of the migration of Hindus from the greater Durban area to the greater Johannesburg area, South Africa.

Abstract

This dissertation examines the migration of Hindus from the Greater Durban Area to the Greater Johannesburg Area, South Africa, in the period since the 1970s, and whether and how this has led to transformation in their practices and beliefs. A socio-historical and ethnographic approach is brought to bear, exploring sub-research questions that inquire into the historical migration of Indians from the then Colony of Natal to the Transvaal, their adaptation to the new setting, and Hindu experiences within neo-Hindu organisations and traditional temples, priests and festivals. The study employs a constructivist grounded theory methodology to develop a theory on the evolution of Hinduism between these cities as a result of this migration. Constructivist theory emphasises the interrelationship between researcher and participant and the mutual construction of meaning, while grounded theory seeks to construct novel theory that is inductive and derives from the data. The grounded theory approach contributes to diaspora studies, the body of knowledge on the evolution of Hinduism, and to understanding migration, settlement and belonging.