The Post-Soviet Decline of Central Asia

The Post-Soviet Decline of Central Asia PDF Author: Eric W. Sievers
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317793374
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
Sievers draws on his experience of Central Asia to take on the task of explaining the remarkable economic declines of the post-Soviet Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) in the past decade, and the turn of these states towards despotism.

The Post-Soviet Decline of Central Asia

The Post-Soviet Decline of Central Asia PDF Author: Eric W. Sievers
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317793374
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 261

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Book Description
Sievers draws on his experience of Central Asia to take on the task of explaining the remarkable economic declines of the post-Soviet Central Asian states (Kazakhstan, Kyrgystan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan) in the past decade, and the turn of these states towards despotism.

Islam in Central Asia and the Caucasus Since the Fall of the Soviet Union

Islam in Central Asia and the Caucasus Since the Fall of the Soviet Union PDF Author: Bayram Balci
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
ISBN: 019091727X
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 260

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Book Description
Provides a sophisticated account of both the internal dynamics and external influences in the evolution of Islam in the region

Identity and Memory in Post-Soviet Central Asia

Identity and Memory in Post-Soviet Central Asia PDF Author: Timur Dadabaev
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1317567358
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 227

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Book Description
Central Asian states have experienced a number of historical changes that have challenged their traditional societies and lifestyles. The most significant changes occurred as a result of the revolution in 1917, the incorporation of the region into the Soviet Union, and gaining independence after the collapse of the USSR. Impartial and informed public evaluation of the Soviet and post-Soviet periods has always been a complicated issue, and the ‘official’ descriptions have often contradicted the interpretations of the past viewed through the experiences of ordinary people. Identity and Memory in Post-Soviet Central Asia looks at the tradition of history construction in Central Asia. By collecting views of the public’s experiences of the Soviet past in Uzbekistan, the author examines the transformation of present-day Central Asia from the perspective of these personal memories, and analyses how they relate to the Soviet and post-Soviet official descriptions of Soviet life. The book discusses that the way in which people in Central Asia reconcile their Soviet past to a great extent refers to the three-fold process of recollecting their everyday experiences, reflecting on their past from the perspective of their post-Soviet present, and re-imagining. These three elements influence memories and lead to selectivity in memory construction, emphasising the aspects of the Soviet era people choose to recall in positive and negative lights. Presenting a broader picture of Soviet everyday life at the periphery of the USSR, the book will be a useful contribution for students and scholars of Central Asian Studies, Ethnicity and Identity Politics.

Post-Soviet Central Asia

Post-Soviet Central Asia PDF Author: International Institute for Asian Studies
Publisher: I.B. Tauris
ISBN:
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 410

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Book Description
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the independent republics of central Asia enjoy a greater degree of autonomy, but are faced with a range of complex social, political and economic problems. This book addresses these problems.

Institutional Change and Political Continuity in Post-Soviet Central Asia

Institutional Change and Political Continuity in Post-Soviet Central Asia PDF Author: Pauline Jones Luong
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1139432281
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
The establishment of electoral systems in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan presents both a complex set of empirical puzzles and a theoretical challenge. Why did three states with similar cultural, historical, and structural legacies establish such different electoral systems? How did these distinct outcomes result from strikingly similar institutional design processes? Explaining these puzzles requires understanding not only the outcome of institutional design but also the intricacies of the process that led to this outcome. Moreover, the transitional context in which these three states designed new electoral rules necessitates an approach that explicitly links process and outcome in a dynamic setting. This book provides such an approach. Finally, it both builds on the key insights of the dominant approaches to explaining institutional origin and change and transcends these approaches by moving beyond the structure versus agency debate.

Central Peripheries

Central Peripheries PDF Author: Marlene Laruelle
Publisher: UCL Press
ISBN: 1800080131
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 262

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Book Description
Central Peripheries explores post-Soviet Central Asia through the prism of nation-building. Although relative latecomers on the international scene, the Central Asian states see themselves as globalized, and yet in spite of – or perhaps precisely because of – this, they hold a very classical vision of the nation-state, rejecting the abolition of boundaries and the theory of the ‘death of the nation’. Their unabashed celebration of very classical nationhoods built on post-modern premises challenges the Western view of nationalism as a dying ideology that ought to have been transcended by post-national cosmopolitanism. Marlene Laruelle looks at how states in the region have been navigating the construction of a nation in a post-imperial context where Russia remains the dominant power and cultural reference. She takes into consideration the ways in which the Soviet past has influenced the construction of national storylines, as well as the diversity of each state’s narratives and use of symbolic politics. Exploring state discourses, academic narratives and different forms of popular nationalist storytelling allows Laruelle to depict the complex construction of the national pantheon in the three decades since independence. The second half of the book focuses on Kazakhstan as the most hybrid national construction and a unique case study of nationhood in Eurasia. Based on the principle that only multidisciplinarity can help us to untangle the puzzle of nationhood, Central Peripheries uses mixed methods, combining political science, intellectual history, sociology and cultural anthropology. It is inspired by two decades of fieldwork in the region and a deep knowledge of the region’s academia and political environment. Praise for Central Peripheries ‘Marlene Laruelle paves the way to the more focused and necessary outlook on Central Asia, a region that is not a periphery but a central space for emerging conceptual debates and complexities. Above all, the book is a product of Laruelle's trademark excellence in balancing empirical depth with vigorous theoretical advancements.’ – Diana T. Kudaibergenova, University of Cambridge ‘Using the concept of hybridity, Laruelle explores the multitude of historical, political and geopolitical factors that predetermine different ways of looking at nations and various configurations of nation-building in post-Soviet Central Asia. Those manifold contexts present a general picture of the transformation that the former southern periphery of the USSR has been going through in the past decades.’ – Sergey Abashin, European University at St Petersburg

Politics, Identity and Education in Central Asia

Politics, Identity and Education in Central Asia PDF Author: Pınar Akçalı
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1135627673
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 250

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Book Description
Focusing on the areas of politics, identity and education, this book looks at some of the most pressing and challenging issues that Kyrgyzstan faces in the post-Soviet era. It argues that Kyrgyzstan is challenged with oscillations between the old and the new on the one hand, and domestic and international on the other. The book analyses the process of post-Soviet transition in today’s Kyrgyzstan by focusing on the political elites, some of the major identity problems and educational issues. It discusses how Kyrgyzstan’s first president in the post-Soviet era had already been an exceptional leader even prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union in terms of his democratic and liberal tendencies. The book goes on to look at how identity is a major factor in the country, shaped to a large extent by genealogical factors and patron-client mechanisms on the one hand, and religious considerations on the other. Finally, it highlights how education has been perceived as a very influential agent of socialization that develops not only literacy and other skills, but also common attitudes and values that are considered essential to any society. By evaluating these three areas, the book argues that Kyrgyzstan cannot isolate itself from the demands, priorities and pressures of international actors, which sometimes are in conflict with the country’s domestic conditions. It is of interest to students and scholars of Asian Studies, Politics and International Relations.

Laboratory of Socialist Development

Laboratory of Socialist Development PDF Author: Artemy M. Kalinovsky
Publisher: Cornell University Press
ISBN: 1501715585
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 333

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Book Description
"Focusing on the Tajik Soviet Socialist Republic, this book places the Soviet development of Central Asia, and the Soviet hope for communism's bringing prosperity to a supposedly backward area, in global context"--

Soviet and Post-Soviet Identities

Soviet and Post-Soviet Identities PDF Author: Mark Bassin
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 1107011175
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 385

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Book Description
A fresh look at post-Soviet Russia and Eurasia and at the Soviet historical background that shaped the present.

Engaging Central Asia

Engaging Central Asia PDF Author: Bhavna Dave
Publisher: CEPS
ISBN: 929079707X
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
"In July 2007, the European Union initiated a fundamentally new approach to the countries of Central Asia. The launch of the EU Strategy for Central Asia signals a qualitative shift in the Union's relations with a region of the world that is of growing importance as a supplier of energy, is geographically situated in a politically sensitive area - between China, Russia, Iran, Afghanistan and the south Caucasus - and contains some of the most authoritarian political regimes in the world. In this volume, leading specialists from Europe, the United States and Central Asia explore the key challenges facing the European Union as it seeks to balance its policies between enhancing the Union's energy, business and security interests in the region while strengthening social justice, democratisation efforts and the protection of human rights. With chapters devoted to the Union's bilateral relations with Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan and to the vital issues of security and democratisation, 'Engaging Central Asia' provides the first comprehensive analysis of the EU's strategic initiative in a part of the world that is fast emerging as one of the key regions of the 21st century."--BOOK JACKET.