Islam, Fun, and Social Capital in Kazakhstan

Abstract

Small-group solidarity is important in Islamic movements. Islamic movements are not simply groups based on Islamic ideology, but they are also based on a sense of community nurtured by, for lack of a better term, hanging out together. In this paper, I examine how members of the piety movement in Kazakhstan have fun and build community. I will start by examining how elites in the piety movement create spaces for Muslims to have a particular type of ethical fun. I then move on to discuss how many members of the piety movement use these spaces for their own purposes. I argue that the piety movement in Kazakhstan increases social capital among its members by developing intense social networks that bond members together through fun activities.