CASI Student Research Seminar focusing on Cultural and Marriage issues in Tajikistan

March 13, 2015

Yesterday, on March 12th, the Central Asian Studies Institute (CASI) hosted a research seminar on the thesis work of two senior students of the Sociology department.  Director of CASI and Head of MA program in Central Asian Studies, Svetlana Jacquesson, opened the seminar with a welcoming and introductory speech. CASI funded the field trips of the students to remote areas in Tajikistan where interviews had to be carried out. In their presentations, students detailed their research process and reported on the challenges they have faced so far. Both research projects, presented at the seminar were focused on cultural and marriage issues in Tajikistan.

Davlatbegim Mamadshoeva’s thesis was  on "Relations of culture and ideology: State affiliated cultural elites of Dushanbe and their activities”. In her presentation she described that her “research is attempting to problematize the issue of interplay between culture and ideology. Namely, this project aims at understanding the relationship between the dominant ideology of Tajikistan and representatives of state employed cultural elites.  Further research on the nature of the relationship between culture and ideology is key to provide another insight into the way authoritative states maintain their power and foster compliance with the status quo by ‘soft’/’invisible’ means". 

The presentation partially referred to the vast academic knowledge available on this topic, and addressed some methodological issues. Davlatbegim also reported on the preliminary findings from 6 interviews with representatives of cultural elites during the fieldwork in Dushanbe.

Gulnigor Tilloeva introduced the outcome of her research on “Blessing or punishment? Women and divorce in Tajikistan”. “My current research looks at divorce, both as a blessing and a punishment for young women in the rural Ishkashim district of Tajikistan. The study also examines why the divorce rate has dramatically increased in this rural area and what factors have contributed to it. The central question of my research is on whether women leaving violent relationships consider divorce as a blessing or punishment.  

 In her presentation, Gulnigor mentioned the previous research conducted on divorce by other scholars, highlighting similarities and discrepancies of results. The theoretical framework, methodology and preliminary findings based on 10 in-depth interviews with divorced women, women getting divorced and a focus group with representatives from the Ishkashim district. 

The seminar was concluded with a lively discussion. Professors and students also gave a number of important feedbacks to the speakers to help them develop their research further.

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