Suchergebnisse

Employs a rational choice paradigm in a discussion of community organization among the British Shia Imami Ismailis, the followers of Aga Khan, since the 1890s. The Ismailis underwent a process of social change from belonging to a rural community to a modernizing community under the leadership of Aga Khan III & Aga Khan IV in the early 20th century. Aga Khan III used his traditional charismatic position strategically to Westernize & modernize the Ismaili community so that it could adapt to modernization without losing its identity as Shia. When the Ismailis immigrated to the UK beginning in the 1960s, they faced a combination of racism & Western modernity that threatened their solidarity & stimulated new strategies & choices. It is shown that these strategies have been largely successful in ensuring the continued economic & cultural success of the community. It is argued that the emergence of the Aga Khan as a leader whose authority is enshrined in the charismatic Islamic past has played an important role in the rational calculations of the Ismailis in East Africa & the UK. D. M. Smith