Identity in Motion: Religion, Memory, and Gender in Contemporary Uzbekistan

Abstract (English)

In post-Soviet Uzbekistan, the resurgence of Islamic religiosity, the revival of genealogical heritage, and the transformation of gender norms are reshaping how individuals and communities negotiate identity. This panel brings together four empirically grounded studies that underscore the complex interplay of tradition, modernity, and local agency. Through a multidisciplinary perspective, our session offers a nuanced view of how Uzbek society reconfigures cultural frameworks in response to broader global and regional shifts.
The first paper examines polygamy as a contested marker of Islamic identity. While legally prohibited, its continued practice reveals deeply gendered tensions around religiosity, social status, and personal rights. The second study explores genealogical revival, highlighting the enduring significance of shajara (family trees) for Uzbeks seeking to reconnect with their ancestral roots. In doing so, it illustrates how reawakened interest in kinship and heritage challenges monolithic Soviet-era narratives. The third presentation focuses on masculinity in contemporary Uzbek families. It captures how patriarchal ideals both persist and evolve, shaped by modern aspirations, shifting social expectations, and an undercurrent of feminization. Finally, the fourth paper delves into religious selfhood, tracing how “folk Islam” fuses local customs with global Islamic discourses, encouraging Uzbeks to forge personalized interpretations of faith in a post-secular context.
Taken as a whole, these case studies emphasize local perspectives and the agency of ordinary men and women in navigating a world characterized by rapid political, cultural, and economic change. By drawing on ethnographic inquiry, psychological anthropology, and ethnopsychology, this panel explores how Uzbek society renegotiates identity in a rapidly changing world. The panel aligns with the Congress’s commitment to decolonizing scholarship and fostering inclusive, nuanced understandings of human diversity. We invite attendees to engage with the dynamic processes through which Uzbeks ‒ and by extension, other post-socialist societies ‒ transform heritage, negotiate identity, and imagine new futures.