Performative negotiations and constructions of identity in a hybrid culture: The Indo- Muslim community in Mauritius

The focus of this anthropological research project will be on Muslims with Indian origin in Mauritius. It will look at negotiation processes of identity construction, which are mostly carried out in the idiom of ritual beliefs and practices. Interactions and discourses within the group are as important as relations of the Muslims to other Mauritian communities as well as to globally operating actors, for example Islamic organisations. While concentrating on everyday interaction of the common people it will become clear at which occasions religion as identity-forming force will be rejected in favour to other factors and at what time it will be stressed.
Of special interest to anthropologists are important celebrations and festivities of the respective communities, like the feasting of the Ramadhan.
This project touches upon theoretical aspects which can be labelled with “diaspora- research”, “migration”, “ethnicity” and “globalization”; these are topics which attract the interests of scholars of the human sciences.