The Ismailis: A Study of Community

An investigation of Ismailis, who are extremely community conscious & manifest a high degree of unity at this level, attempts to analyze & explicate these factors. A community of Ismailis in London was studied over a 2-year period (1972-1974); concern was with understanding how, as individuals & as a group, they characterize the reality which is Ismailism in a different environment & cultural setting. Focus was on the influence of Ismailism on the life style, general economic, religious, social, & ethical behavior of Ismailis in London. Among the theories considered were those of the influence of urbanism on religion & religious institutions. The concept & role of leadership in a period of transition were examined. Associational & communal involvement were studied in terms of the f of attendance at the mosque, the degree to which primary relations were limited to the Ismaili community, which involved determining among other factors, attitudes to out-marriage. The interview technique was employed as well as a limited measure of participation observation. The all-purpose nature of the mosque is cited as the main reason for Ismaili community-centeredness: it is a religious institution which, however, is symbolic of the social & anthropological dimensions of faith. "Subcommunities" of the total system or community tend to coalesce to some degree at the mosque, & its ritual provides a kind of spatio-temporal frame. Expelled from Uganda in 1972, Ismailis are understandably insecure & tend to make a one-to-one identification between their survival & the person of their leader. The Ismaili community may be best defined in terms of organic solidarity. Modified AA.