[Discussion] bk. rev.: The Transformation of Central Asia

[Sule Tarakcioglu]

Pauline Jones Luong, ed. The Transformation of Central Asia: States and
Societies from Soviet Rule to Independence. Ithaca: Cornell University
Press, 2004. xii + 332 pp. Bibliography, index. $52.50 (cloth), ISBN
0-8014-8842-7; $22.95 (paper), ISBN 0-8014-4151-X.
*Reviewed by:* Abdulkader Sinno, Political Science and Middle Eastern
Studies, Indiana University.
*Published by:* H-Gender-MidEast <http://www.h-net.msu.edu/%7Egend-mid/>
(November, 2004)
Revealing Empirical Studies of State-Society Relations in Central Asia

This edited volume by Pauline Jones Luong provides an excellent
introduction to different aspects of state consolidation and
state-society relations in the post-Soviet states of Central Asia. The
pieces included in the book are all based on empirical research in one
or more Central Asian countries and do not shy from dealing with the
complex societal forces involved in the process of state building. The
book's greatest achievement is that it moves us beyond clich=E9d
representations of politics in Central Asia by carefully examining the
role of actors within and outside the state apparatus in affecting state
formation. Its only weakness is that the editor claims broader
theoretical relevance for the findings than the included chapters could
support. This one weakness, however, should not take away from the
volume's many strengths. It deserves to be considered for any course on
the politics in Central Asia in the coming few years.

Besides Jones Luong's introduction and conclusion, the book is divided
into four parts of two chapters each. The introduction presents
established perspectives for the study of post-Soviet states in Central
Asia. The two chapters of Part One discuss how the evolution of
post-Soviet states in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan affect the lot of women
in society. Marianne Kamp argues that the creation of centrally
controlled local government in Uzbekistan puts women without means at
the mercy of local leaders and diminishes women's welfare in general.
Cynthia Werner ascribes the resurgence of bride kidnapping in Kazakhstan
to the retreat of the state from society and economic motives.

Part Two includes a chapter by Laura Adams that highlights the process
through which the intelligentsia in Uzbekistan helps create and
perpetuate a new national myth to consolidate Karimov's rule and create
a nation-state. This chapter is particularly notable for unraveling the
complex motivations behind the participation of members of the cultural
elite in this often unsavory venture. The other chapter of Part Two (by
Bhavna Dave) deals with language policy in Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan.

Part Three highlights intra-state dynamics in Central Asian Republics,
particularly the role of the periphery in weakening the center. A
chapter by Alisher Ilkhamov argues that regional elites still play a
substantial role in Uzbek politics in spite of the power concentrated in
Karimov's hands. Jones Luong's chapter argues that regional leaders in
Kazakhstan influence economic policies and implementation in their areas
in spite of the perception of the country as being highly centralized.

Part Four focuses on the influence of NGOs on state-building and the
development of state capacity. The findings of the two contributors are
not consistent, which highlights the pitfalls of generalization from
findings gleaned from too few case studies. While Kelly McMann finds
that Kyrgyz NGOs seek state support and increase state capacity, Erika
Weinthal finds in a broader study that NGOs weaken state capacity in
Central Asia, particularly on environmental issues.

This is a wonderful volume on state-society dynamics in some Central
Asian countries today that the editor sometimes tries to transform into
a treatise on state and nation-building in general (inter alia p. 185
and conclusion). It might have been reasonable to generalize the
findings gleaned from studying two or three Central Asian Republics in
each part of the book to the remaining republics, but extending findings
to state building in general is excessive. The countries of the region
do have a lot in common that sets them apart from the rest of the world.
This unsupported ambition, however, should not distract from the book's
merits.

This is a very well-integrated volume with contributions that speak to
each other and collectively encourage us to revisit our perceptions of
Central Asian politics. It also benefits from a unity of style and
methodology. All contributors conducted extensive field research in the
countries they cover, including the collection of relevant statistical
data and extensive interviews. This volume also has an implicit
political economy thread that runs through all of its chapters---even
the resurgence of bride kidnapping in Kazakhstan is given an economic
explanation. Unlike many similar edited volumes on Central Asia, this
book succeeds in being much larger than the sum of its parts.