Suchergebnisse

Abstract
In this article, I explore male sex-work in Kazakhstan and show that unlike male sex work around the world, the Kazakhstani market appears to be overwhelmingly heterosexual. Based on a sample of 200 online advertisements, this paper generates original data by providing an overview of male sex work in Kazakhstan's two largest cities, Almaty and Nur-Sultan. This data is analyzed through a gender lens that acknowledges a shift in local gender roles and expectations and I argue that a desire for sexual emancipation, which is constrained by conservative views surrounding female sexuality explains this particular phenomenon. More precisely, I suggest that women are likely to have discreet sex with anonymous professionals rather than indulge in casual sex with strangers or acquaintances to maintain their reputation. While most gender research in Central Asia focuses on issues of re-traditionalization, this article investigates women's sexuality and desires in Kazakhstan outside of the re-traditionalization paradigm.

Wie viele postkoloniale Gesellschaften vor ihnen sind die zentralasiatischen Länder fast 30 Jahre nach der Auflösung der Sowjetunion noch auf der Suche nach ihrer eigenen nationalen Identität. Sie wenden sich von russischen kulturellen Einflüssen ab und versuchen, ihre nationalen Traditionen der Moderne anzupassen. Doch haben einige dieser Traditionen das Potential, konservative patriarchalische Werte und Verhaltensweisen zu stärken und bedrohen damit die Gendergerechtigkeit. Frauen stehen unter erheblichem Druck, sich an Ideale von Weiblichkeit und Sittsamkeit anzupassen, um so der Forderung nach Bewahrung der nationalen Identität nachzukommen.

Wie viele postkoloniale Gesellschaften vor ihnen sind die zentralasiatischen Länder fast 30 Jahre nach der Auflösung der Sowjetunion noch auf der Suche nach ihrer eigenen nationalen Identität. Sie wenden sich von russischen kulturellen Einflüssen ab und versuchen, ihre nationalen Traditionen der Moderne anzupassen. Doch haben einige dieser Traditionen das Potential, konservative patriarchalische Werte und Verhaltensweisen zu stärken und bedrohen damit die Gendergerechtigkeit. Frauen stehen unter erheblichem Druck, sich an Ideale von Weiblichkeit und Sittsamkeit anzupassen, um so der Forderung nach Bewahrung der nationalen Identität nachzukommen.

Since independence in 1991, Tajikistan's authorities have been trying to promote a unifying ideology that could inspire the whole nation. Na-tional unity is particularly challenging in this country that has been wounded by a five-year civil war (1992-1997). As religiosity has be-come more prevalent over the years, the authorities have tried to thwart the growth of Islam by promoting a conservative ideology de-void of Islamic content, resting on imagined national traditions, nation-al purity and ancient wisdom. Interestingly, the female figure has be-come increasingly instrumental in the state's national discourse. Pat-ronizing moral recommendations focus mainly on female clothing and virtue, which have come to embody national values. The role of women in the transmission of family and patriotic values is celebrated, yet dis-courses hide a difficult reality for Tajik women who are deeply affected by poverty, labor migration, and social and state pressure.

This article investigates the effects of the Soviet social engineering project and forced secularization in Central Asia. Emphasis is placed on the ideological foundations of Marxism-Leninism, its stance on atheism, its holistic character, and its ideological exclusivity. The article details the measures taken by authorities to eradicate religious beliefs during the seventy years of Soviet rule. Taking the case of Tajikistan, it highlights the remaining influence of Soviet policies on state-religion relations by reviewing the functions and responsibilities of current regulatory institutions as well as laws and official discourses framing religious practices.

This article investigates the effects of the Soviet social engineering project and forced secularization in Central Asia. Emphasis is placed on the ideological foundations of Marxism-Leninism, its stance on atheism, its holistic character, and its ideological exclusivity. The article details the measures taken by authorities to eradicate religious beliefs during the seventy years of Soviet rule. Taking the case of Tajikistan, it highlights the remaining influence of Soviet policies on state-religion relations by reviewing the functions and responsibilities of current regulatory institutions as well as laws and official discourses framing religious practices.

Chapter 1. Introduction: Understanding Political Economy of Education in Central Asia: the review of the challenges (Assel Sharimova, Naureen Durrani and Hélène Thibault ) -- Chapter 2. Political economy of Soviet education in Kazakhstan: A critical review (Diana Toimbek) -- Chapter 3. The right to education of disabled children in Semipalatinsk in the context of the post-Cold War (Aigerim Mussabalinova) -- Chapter 4. Religion and education in contemporary Uzbekistan: Religious and spiritual challenges in public education (Zilola Khalilova) -- Chapter 5. Islam, women, and higher education in Uzbekistan (Rahimjon Abdugafurov) -- Chapter 6. Exploring STEM teacher educators' understanding of gender-responsive pedagogies in Kazakhstan (Ainur Almukhambetova) -- Chapter 7. Gender, language and social inequalities in the textbooks in the History of Kazakhstan (Zhazira Bekzhanova) -- Chapter 8. Medium of instruction, national identity and attitudes towards gender roles (Alexandra Nam) -- Chapter 9. The politics of languages in education: issues of access to education and labour market participation of minority ethnic groups in Kazakhstan (Fariza Tolesh) -- Chapter 10. Equity-minded assessment from the perceptions of university stakeholders in Tajikistan (Vasila Bozichaeva) -- Chapter 11. A political economy analysis of factors influencing the expansion of Russian (Sherzod Khaydarov) -- Chapter 12. The role of NGOs within the education sector (Natalya Hanley).

This open access book is intended as an original contribution to the conversation on the role and challenges of education in Central Asia to promote social cohesion by looking at Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Examining education challenges within the countries' wider historical, social, political, and cultural context, the contributions explore existing discourses concerning national identity, religion, language, gender, inclusion, internationalisation of education, and non-state actors through a Political Economy Analysis (PEA) lens. With the understanding that education is both a powerful mechanism of social reproduction in societies and a driver of social change, the book attempts to promote political economy analysis of education as a helpful analytical tool for educational debates and reform agendas in the region and thus will be a valuable resource for policymakers, practitioners, and scholars in this region and beyond.

Abstract
Gender-based violence, (geo)politics, and Islam continue to dominate the production of knowledge about Central Asia. While using a gender lens, this Special Issue offers a different perspective on the region. The authors link historical analyses of imperial and Soviet gendered modernities to contemporary Central Asians' daily lives and local nationalisms to shed light on often overlooked areas in the literature, such as a systematic screening out of historical and contemporary gender diversity, sex work, virginity tests, in-bodiment (as in corporeality, not just the performance of social norms,) queer activism, and the use and abuse of discourse on traditions. As a platform for a conversation about negotiating gender in Central Asia and indigenizing gender theory from within other than Euro-American contexts, this Issue is an example of knowledge production by and with Central Asians. This Issue is also an invitation to continue using a gender lens, as there are still several research areas that remain unexplored and would, we believe, benefit from such an approach.