The body, in all its functions, is not only a means of mobility and being, but a canvas where an individual’s identity is perpetually inscribed and redefined. In an increasingly globalized, hybrid, and multicultural society, the body’s movements – both conscious and unconscious - are infused with its cultural histories and social practices. They represent our identities and reflect the spaces in which we reside. Observing these bodily movements within the framework of cultural identity provides significant insights into how individuals maneuver through different environments, relationships and the ever-changing terrain of belonging. This research seeks to investigate the manifestation of cultural identity through everyday life movements, concentrating on the experiences of ethnic Indians in Delhi and London.
Cultural identity is a complex fusion of beliefs, customs, traditions, values, and behaviors that define a ‘kind’ of people or an individual’s connection to that ‘kind’ (I emphasize the word ‘kind’ to suggest a distinct version or flavor of a shared human experience. Just as there are different flavors of ice cream, each cultural group represents a unique yet interconnected facet of humanity). Dynamic, ever-evolving, and shaped by multiple factors like geography, religion, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status; cultural identity manifests in subtle, often unconscious, physical expressions. The way we adapt different accents, move through spaces, or carry out daily rituals reflects this dynamic interplay of culture, environment, and habit. For instance, the act of praying in a temple or dining at the dinner table, embeds cultural nuances within our movements, creating a somatic archive of experiences that are both shared and unique. It is both a personal and collective experience, constantly renegotiated through the body’s interaction with the world.
Bourdieu’s (1977) “habitus” denotes the entrenched habits, skills, and dispositions that individuals develop through their experiences within a certain social setting. These habits are not executed deliberately but arise from the ongoing interplay between the body and its surroundings. For my research, habitus is an essential framework for examining the implicit integration of cultural identity in daily life actions, ranging from food preparation to maneuvering through congested areas.
Simultaneously, Homi Bhabha’s (1994) theory of “cultural hybridity” offers a background for examining the convergence of diverse cultural influences in bodily motions. In a diasporic context, individuals frequently move through cultures, resulting in hybridized identities that mix different aspects of the traditional and the contemporary, the familiar and the unfamiliar. Bhabha’s notion of the “third space” is crucial in comprehending the creation of new cultural identities within these intermediary realms, where conventional practices are reinterpreted and recontextualized. The body, as a facilitator of movement, serves as the locus where this hybridity is both performed and renegotiated, especially in domestic or public environments. The body serves as the focal point of cultural knowledge and the conduit for the expression of identity. Its movements possess not only functionality but also profound symbolism, holding within themselves signs of individual and communal histories.
In Hindu philosophy, the concept of ‘sarira’ (body) is deeply intertwined with the pursuit of spiritual truth. ‘Sarira’, derived from Sanskrit, refers not only to the physical body but also to the layers of existence that envelop the soul. In Vedantic thought, true identity is found not in the ‘sarira’ but in the ‘atma’ (soul), which transcends the physical form. However, the body remains an essential medium through which spiritual truths are realized. Vedantic philosophy divides the ‘sarira’ into three layers: the ‘sthula sarira’ (gross body), the ‘sukshma sarira’ (subtle body), and the ‘karana sarira’ (causal body). Each layer represents different aspects of existence, reflecting the body’s role as more than a mere vessel; it is a site where cultural, historical, and spiritual influences converge. I don’t seek to map out a historical timeline of movement but rather to investigate how these movements occur today in the everyday gestures we often overlook.
The body, as conceptualized in Indian thought, is not just a container but a medium through which deep cultural and spiritual knowledge is expressed. Movements, gestures, and postures—such as those practiced in yoga—convey more than physical strength or grace; they are manifestations of ‘samskaras’-the cultural and societal imprints passed down through generations. These imprints create a hybrid identity that evolves over time, blending cultural influences and personal experiences. The ‘sarira’ is thus both a vehicle for spiritual practice and a canvas for cultural expression, with each movement imbued with the rich flavours of cultural identity, spirituality and philosophical thought.
In my research, I focus on the embodied experiences of ethnic Indian bodies because my own understanding of the body is rooted in my Indian heritage. By engaging with this diaspora, I explore how cultural identity is negotiated, performed, and transformed through the body in different geographical contexts. The Indian diaspora, dispersed from their homeland to the UK, offers a unique perspective on the negotiation of identity in a multicultural space. In comparison, I also examine the experiences of Indians living in India, analyzing how their cultural identity is expressed through everyday movements within their native environment. The dual or multiple cultural engagements of the diaspora result in the forming of these hybrid identities, where tradition and heritage intersect with newer influences, leading to constantly evolving forms of self-expression.
Stuart Hall (1990) suggests that cultural identity encompasses both “becoming” and “being,” pertaining equally to the future and the past. The concept of identity as fluid and continuously evolving is truly reflected in the experiences of the Indian diaspora, especially in the postcolonial environment. My research investigates the physicality of “becoming” and “being” - the negotiation of identity through motions, gestures and spatial practices of ethnic Indian bodies in two geographically separate locations - Delhi and London.
I aim to comprehend the interplay between personal and cultural elements in the expression of identity through the examination of the body moving through daily life, specifically in intimate settings, domestic contexts and public locations. Analyzing everyday movements—such as talking, cooking and public behaviour—in the context of the diaspora allowed me to investigate how cultural identity is inscribed and re-inscribed on the body. The Indian diaspora presents a rich case study for examining the fluidity and hybridity of cultural identity, particularly in relation to how these identities are embodied in daily life. I draw the content from my personal experiences as a Hindu Indian woman, interviews with other ethnic indians and multiple theoretical frameworks. I acknowledge that my perspective is limited and does not aim to represent the full spectrum of India's diverse ethinicities and religions. Instead, I focus on the specific contexts I’ve studied, looking at how culture is both embodied and evolving through these bodies.
Having the dissertation presented as a website gave me the opportunity to experiment with a variety of mediums and forms, which in turn enabled me to conduct an investigation of embodied practices that is both more sensory and more involved. The architecture and the space of a website breaks away from the rigid limitations of academic writing and helped me have a multi-layered approach that replicates the intricacies of the body’s movements. Additionally, this structure is reflective of the ever-changing nature of the research process itself, which is characterized by the continuous reshaping and expansion of my own understanding of how cultural identity is embodied and enacted through the introduction of new ideas, interviews and daily life observation.
This website, much like the bodies that it analyzes, is eventually going to be neither static or fixed; rather, it will always keep evolving, adjusting to new facts and viewpoints as they become available. This choice of structure highlights the key point of this dissertation, which is that cultural identity is not a static idea but rather a performance that is perpetually changing and rebuilding through the body’s movements and embodied experience. I hope that by sharing this research, I will be able to make a contribution to a more deeper understanding of how our bodies carry and transmit cultural knowledge as they adapt and evolve in response to new and varied surroundings. By researching movement that occur on a daily basis, whether they take place in the kitchen, at the dinner table, or in public settings, I have a better understanding the ways in which cultural identity is etched onto the body, as well as the ways in which these inscriptions show the complexity of living across or between different cultures. When it comes to comprehending the ways in which cultural identity is embodied, performed, and negotiated, the body – the websites’, my own and the bodies of the people who participated in my research - serves as the centerpiece.
Ultimately, this is an attempt to make the subtleties of embodied culture accessible. Through personal reflections, images, videos and conversations, I hope to unravel how cultural identity is performed and inscribed in our everyday actions. My insights are grounded in embodied practices, blurring the lines between personal narrative and scholarly analysis. Just as the body shifts and adapts to new cultural environments, this website too is a living, evolving representation of the intersection between movement and identity.
Having moved to the UK only since last year, I find myself negotiating between the cultural codes I grew up with and the new social norms I’m encountering here. In my case, the embodied practices I learnt in India - whether it’s the way I move through a crowded space, cook food in the kitchen or even how I sit at a table - are now interacting with the expectations and behaviors of life in the UK. My body is basically a site where multiple cultural influences meet, creating a fluid, ever-changing sense of self.
When I use the term ‘movement’ in this study, I refer not just to grand, overt physical gestures but to every small, subtle motion our bodies make. These movements include the way we fold our arms, how our hands move when we speak, the postures we assume, and even the micro-movements of our lips as we form words. Movement, in this sense, becomes a kind of language—a form of non-verbal communication that reveals cultural belonging, personal history and identity.
This brings me back to the concept of hybridity. I do not exist as a fixed Indian self or as a completely adapted UK resident. Instead, my identity is in constant negotiation, shaped by the spaces I inhabit and the cultural cues I move through. Hybridity, in this sense, is not just about being in between two cultures but about the creative and sometimes uncomfortable process of merging, adapting and resisting cultural coding. It’s about the fluidity of identity that comes with migration and displacement, where the body itself becomes a site of cultural performance.
Cultural identity, then, is a performance that is continuously shaped and reshaped through movement. Each time I walk through a crowded street, sit at a dining table, or greet someone in a different cultural setting, I am performing my identity, negotiating the norms and expectations of the space I am in. And it is through this constant performance - this embodied practice of moving through the world - that I make sense of who I am, both as an Indian woman and as someone learning to navigate life in a new space.
This website, in part, is a reflection of that journey. It is an exploration of how bodies move through different cultural landscapes, how they perform identity in both public and private spaces, and how cultural hybridity is lived and experienced on a daily basis, with my own understanding and experience of this flowing in and out of the content.
I would like to thank each and every “body” that I came in contact with, intentionally or unintentionally, online or offline – for inspiring me and my research. Your movements, your stories, and your willingness to share have been at the heart of this work.
A special mention goes to my Mumma, Papa, and Sister, who held me through every part of this process and put up with me for everything I asked of them. To Jiggy, for getting so many of her British Indian friends on board for interviews, and to my own dear home friends, thank you for your understanding, for being available, and for sharing your time and experiences with me.
And a big thanks to Philippa Burt for being the most supportive teacher and mentor I could have ever asked for.