Objectives:

 

The Neo-Zoroastrian project, which is based at SOAS, University of London aims to:

• To estimate the population of ‘Zoroastrians-by choice’.

• The study 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐨-𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 & 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬, 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 ‘𝐙𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐬-𝐛𝐲-𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞’

• To study the 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 of ‘Zoroastrians-by-choice’.

• To survey the origins, organisational structures, and functions of various organisations and groups with Neo-Zoroastrian membership.

• To survey the behavioural and attitudinal patterns of Zoroastrians towards the 'Zorostrians-by-choice'.

• To investigate the challenges faced and the interaction between the Zoroastrians-by-choice and Zoroastrian.

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Methodology:

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The project will employ various ethnographic research methods and other tools to realise the aforesaid objectives.

• Structured online and offline surveys among the Zoroastrians-by-choice and Zoroastrians.

• In-depth audio-visual interviews with lay members of Neo-Zoroastrian and Zoroastrian communities; Mobeds, Mobediyars, religious facilitators, policymakers, and others.

• Analysis of personal and publicly available documents.

• Participant-observation and other techniques to observe and record socio-cultural and religious activities.

• Network analysis to study the relationship between individuals, groups, organisations, etc.

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The initial stage of the project will involve online fieldwork through structured questionnaires, interviews, informal interactions, and attending online events. As and when the Covid-19 situation subsides, the researcher will travel to the USA, Canada, parts of Europe, and Central Asia to visit various Zoroastrian communities to gather better insights for the project.