ABSTRACT
The rapid growth of the web continues to raise interesting questions about contemporary social identities of marginalized groups that have been negatively affected in tangible social spaces by hierarchies imposed by the dominant groups through a combination of ideologies, interactions and institutionalization. In recent years, gendered ideologies and practices in religions has become enmeshed in discussions about the assimilation of new immigrants in many Western countries. In this chapter the authors focus on Hindu student groups (HSGs) in the USA and UK and their assertions about 'Hindu women' on their websites. They use the example of HSGs to show that contemporary gendered/raced ideologies are produced, while using a strong woman frame. While women from Hindu history, literature and mythology are eulogized as role models for all Hindu women, the websites deploy two specific configurations to drive home the message: powerful Hindu goddesses and dutiful epic women.
