Going rural and urban at once. Reflections from the Roman Sikh Context

This paper aims to highlight some considerations emerging from an ongoing ethnographic research I am carrying out at the local Gurdwara of Fiumicino, in the outer edges of Rome, as well as around two ashrams owned by Italian converted Sikhs, which are hosting some Sikh migrants as well. All these sites seem to question the separation of urban versus rural contexts, since they act both as community centres for Sikhs living in town and neighbouring villages, and as places of residence from where to commute for professional purposes downtown. In this perspective, the 'Sikh case' is a good example to take on further reflections on the changing urban shape of Rome, which appears to be constantly transforming itself, over the last decades, by the increasing expansion of suburban areas; such restructuring has also influenced the way migrants choose where to work and live.