Patterns of Traditionalization of Society in Uzbekistan: Conflicting and Concurring Discourses on the Old and the New

Aziz Elmuradov; Andreas Vasilache

doi:10.52536/3006-807X.2026-1.001

Authors

Aziz Elmuradov Bielefeld University, Germany Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8108-6448
Andreas Vasilache Bielefeld University, Germany Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9538-6716

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.52536/3006-807X.2026-1.001

Keywords:

traditionalization, tradition, state and society, subject, power and security, Uzbekistan, Central Asia

Abstract

Traditionalization of society has become a major trend in Uzbekistan over recent years. Bearing on a set of discursive strategies pertaining to social struggle over legitimization as well as mechanisms of grappling with impacts of globalization, the resurgence of traditionalization clearly presents one of the most significant paradigms underlying societal change in Uzbekistan. In this article, we set out to explore this shift and its structural characteristic traits. After a brief introduction that includes some empirical, conceptual, and methodological considerations, we will, first, work out a compact analytical framework in which we maintain that tradition and its manifestations hinge on the realm of the social and are, in fact, more fluid and dynamic than commonly assumed. Second, considering the inseparable link between tradition and patriarchy, we will show how patrimonial as well as patriarchal structures reinforce and legitimize the discourse of tradition. Based on these critical considerations, we will, third, discuss the traditionalist resurgence in Uzbekistan and shed light on its implications.

Author Biographies

Aziz Elmuradov, Bielefeld University, Germany

Dr. Aziz Elmuradov holds a PhD in Political Science and is Research Associate at Bielefeld University in the project “Institutional Change and Social Practice: Research on the Political System, the Economy and Society in Central Asia and the Caucasus”. His research focuses on Theories of International Relations, Post-Soviet Studies, Political Sociology, and Qualitative Research Methods.
Andreas Vasilache, Bielefeld University, Germany

Dr. Andreas Vasilache holds a PhD in Political Science and is Professor of European Studies at Bielefeld University and Director of the Centre for German and European Studies (CGES/ZDES). His research spans on International Relations, European Studies, and International Political Theory, focusing i.a. on governmentality approaches, borders and boundaries, and security studies.

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