Hélène Thibault

Nazarbayev University | NU · Department of Political Science

This chapter outlines the evolution of the Kazakh political system since independence in 1991. We review its early constitutional arrangements and the creation of its representative institutions in light of the power struggles that resulted in the consolidation of power around the figure of the first Kazakh president, Nursultan Nazarbayev (1991–201...

As an introductory part, this chapter aims to set the scene for this book. The chapter starts with an understanding of the research on the Political Economy of Education, the variety of approaches within the field and the relevance of the book. The subsequent section provides reflections on some of the contentious issues concerning education and so...

This open access book is intended as an original contribution to the conversation on the role and challenges of education in Central Asia to promote social cohesion by looking at Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. Examining education challenges within the countries’ wider historical, social, political, and cultural context, the contributions ex...

This chapter looks at the reasons why the Kazakhstani state authorities blamed the January 2022 violence on foreign-trained terrorists. We argue that the authorities shifted the blame to foreign elements for three reasons related to both internal and external legitimation purposes. First, we demonstrate that invoking the Islamic rhetoric represents...

This chapter conceptualizes public shaming as a regulatory mechanism in Kazakhstani politics. Finding its origin in the Soviet era’s public shaming and in the tradition of uyat, shaming can be used as way to make politicians accountable in the absence of competitive elections and limited freedom of speech. Shaming is used selectively as a tool to e...

This chapter provides an overview of the conceptualization of shame in Central Asia and its contemporary manifestations in a comparative perspective and summarizes the various chapters of the book.KeywordsShameHonorTraditionCentral AsiaPatriarchyKinship

In open access here: https://scholarspace.library.gwu.edu/concern/parent/fq977v64q/gw_works/7p88ch53k In this article, I explore male sex-work in Kazakhstan and show that unlike male sex work around the world, the Kazakhstani market appears to be overwhelmingly heterosexual. Based on a sample of 200 online advertisements, this paper generates origi...

Gender-based violence, (geo)politics, and Islam continue to dominate the production of knowledge about Central Asia. While using a gender lens, this Special Issue offers a different perspective on the region. The authors link historical analyses of imperial and Soviet gendered modernities to contemporary Central Asians’ daily lives and local nation...

Considers the role of misinformation in aggravating both the sanitary situation and social tensions Evaluates the economic challenges that the pandemic brings to the region. Examines the impact of Sinophobia in Central Asia and the future challenges this feeling may pose for the authorities.

This essay addresses discursive practices in the literature on Islam in Central Asia and highlights a recent shift from Wahhabism to Salafism as the main ‘non-traditional’ movement perceived to pose a threat. This shift is the result of a postimperial understanding of religious dynamics as well as the standardisation of global security discourses....

В данной статье исследуется феномен многоженства в современном Казахстане. Некоторые популярные дискурсы связывают многоженство с формой ретрадиционализации, в то время как другие рассматривают его как ответ на предполагаемый демографический дисбаланс в стране и, наконец, некоторые как признак расширения религиозных практик. Однако, материал, собра...

In recent years, the institution of marriage in Muslim Central Asia has undergone profound transformations in terms of religious dynamics, migration patterns, and the impact of globalization. In Kazakhstan between 2014 and 2019, every third marriage ended in divorce. By examining how Muslim Kazakhs’ support for divorce and casual sex is related to...

В этом настольном документе представлен региональный обзор четырех стран Центральной Азии, Казахстана, Кыргызстана (официально Кыргызская Республика), Таджикистана и Узбекистана, через призму политической экономии с особым упором на образование.

This desk-based paper offers a regional overview of four Central Asian countries, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan (officially the Kyrgyz Republic), Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, applying the political economy lens, with a particular focus on education. The purpose of the review is to support prospective research teams in Central Asia in identifying potential t...

In this article, I look at how political ethnography can contribute to the study of religious dynamics within conservative religious communities. Based on fieldwork conducted in Tajikistan within conservative Muslim circles, I take a reflexive stance by arguing that my informants used my status as a single foreign woman to steer interactions toward...

Kanadalı araştırmacı Hélène Thibault, devlet ve ulus inşası, iç savaş ve klanlar arası güç mücadeleleri, dinî canlanma, dindevlet ilişkileri, Sovyetlerden miras kalan kurumların faaliyetleri üzerinden Tacikistan’daki inceleme ve deneyimlerini aktarıyor. Yazar, Rusya’ya çalışmak için giden Tacik erkeklerinin geride bıraktığı ailelerinin dramlarını,...

Project Flyer: The PEER Network

This chapter examines the religious revival that followed the collapse of Soviet Union, more specifically from the perspective of Islam. It shows that the Kazakhstani authorities have tried to channel a Muslim identity with methods that are very akin to those used by the Communist authorities prior to independence. In particular, the fight against...

This paper explores ways in which matrimonial arrangements are being transformed in Tajikistan by assessing the impact of labour migration in the increase of divorces as well as polygynous unions. I argue that instead of considering polygyny simply as a reification of patriarchy, we should view it as a way for both men and women to negotiate – and...

Counter-extremism has become an important tool for the authoritarian government of Tajikistan to consolidate its position. In this article, we argue that counter-extremism is not purely about destructive acts, such as banning groups or arresting individuals: it is productive, too. Using a Foucauldian understanding of disciplinary power and biopower...

This article investigates the effects of the Soviet social engineering project and forced secularization in Central Asia. Emphasis is placed on the ideological foundations of Marxism-Leninism, its stance on atheism, its holistic character, and its ideological exclusivity. The article details the measures taken by authorities to eradicate religious...

The increasing practice of Islam in Tajikistan in the last few years has contributed to rising social and political tensions. Based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Northern Tajikistan between May and October 2010, this article intends to highlight underlying religious tensions in Tajikistan, which, I argue, are the result of the emergence of...