Constructing the Uzbek State

Marlene Laruelle is research professor, director of the Central Asia Program, and associate director of the Institute for European, Russian, and Eurasian Studies (IERES) at the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University.

• Introduction, Marlene LaruellePart I: Uzbekistan’s Political ConstructChapter 1: When Security Trumps Identity: Uzbekistan’s Foreign Policy under Islam Karimov, Matteo FumagalliChapter 2: The Magic of Territory: Remaking of Border Landscapes as a Spatial Manifestation of Nationalist Ideology, Nick MegoranChapter 3: Grand Corruption in Uzbekistan’s Telecommunications Sector: Root Causes and Social Costs, Alisher IlkhamovChapter 4: Uzbek Political Thinking in the Third Decade of Independence, Morgan Y. LiuPart II: Agriculture and Labor Migration. Changing the Social FabricChapter 5: Government, Cotton Farms, and Labor Migration from Uzbekistan, Russell ZancaChapter 6: Uzbeks in Russia: A New Diaspora or a Transnational Society?, Sergei AbashinChapter 7: Establishing an “Uzbek Mahalla” via Smartphones and Social Media: Everyday Transnational Lives of Uzbek Labor Migrants in Russia, Rustamjon UrinboyevPart III: Uzbek Islam: State Control, Resilience, and ResistanceChapter 8: Counter-Extremism, Secularism, and the Category of Religion in the United Kingdom and Uzbekistan: Should We Be Studying Islam at All?, Johan RasanayagamChapter 9: At the Crossroads of Religion and Regime Security: Teaching Islam in Uzbekistan,Sebastien PeyrouseChapter 10: Moral Exemplars and Ordinary Ethics: Sufism in Bukhara, Maria LouwChapter 11: The Evolving “Uzbek Jihad”: Islamist Militant Recruiting and State Responses, Noah TuckerPart IV: Renegotiating Identities and Cultural LegaciesChapter 12: Be(com)ing Uzbek: Patterns of Identification and Processes of Assimilation,Peter FinkeChapter 13: The Nation Narrated: Uzbekistan’s Political and Cultural Nationalism, Marlene LaruelleChapter 14: Public Life in Private Spaces in Uzbekistan: Women, Religion, and Politics, Svetlana PeshkovaChapter 15: Gender and Changing Women’s Roles in Uzbekistan: From Soviet Workers to Post-Soviet Entrepreneurs, Rano Turaeva-Hoehne

This is an excellent book, one that examines the most pressing issues in contemporary Uzbekistan Combining insights from a rare mix of top specialists, this very readable volume takes a penetrating look into Uzbekistan’s society, culture, and politics. A country with enormous possibility, yet burdened by deep-seated challenges, Uzbekistan highlights the truly multifaceted nature of building a state in this part of the world. Covering migration, economic reform, security threats, and how gender, religion, and culture define Uzbekistan’s rich social fabric, Constructing the Uzbek State is essential reading for anyone interested in this important country.