'National Identity between Tradition and Reflexive Modernisation in Central Asia' (2001)

2015

The multicultural region of Central Eurasia is living through its early post-independence years and as such serves as an ideal case to study and analyse theories of identity and foreign policy in a non-European context. Looking to re-introduce identity as a multidimensional factor informing state behaviour, this book analyses the experiences of the different Central Eurasian states in their post-independence pursuits. The book is structured into two broadly defined sections, with the first half examining the different ways in which the combination of domestic, regional, international and trans-national forces worked to advance one national identity over the others in the states that comprise the region of post-Soviet Central Eurasia. In the second half, chapters analyse the many ways in which identity, once shaped, affected foreign policy behaviours of the regional states, as well as the overall security dynamics in the region. The book also looks at the ways in which identity, by doing so, enjoys an intricate, mutually constitutive relationship with the strategic context in which it bears its effects on the state and the region. Finally, given the special role Russia has historically played in defining the evolutionary trajectory of the regional states, the book discusses the ways in which Russia itself and its post-cold war policies towards its former colonies have been conditioned by factors associated with Russia’s evolving post-Soviet identity. Placing the region firmly within existing theories of identity and state practices, the book will be of interest to students and scholars of Central Asian Politics, Security Studies, Foreign Policy and International Relations.

The international interest in the topic of nationalism reasserted itself after the collapse of the Soviet Union and following the end of the Cold War. In studies on post-Soviet transition processes the problem of national identification took central place. In Central Asian studies, national identity became a basic and even fashionable topic serving as a key for explaining other processes—political, economic, social, cultural—as well as for predicting the future development of the newly independent countries. It would seem natural and theoretically valid that national identification ofpeoples determines their future relationships—whether they will integrate or disintegrate , and whether they will live in conflict or at peace with each other.

2014

Chapter in the edited volume "Nationalisms and Identity Construction in Central Asia: Dimensions, Dynamics, and Directions" (ed. by Mariya Omelicheva), pp. 129-147, Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2014. Abstract What are the sources of inter-ethnic and inter-communal tensions in Central Asia? This chapter illuminated one of these sources, namely, the processes of constructing exclusivist identities in Central Asian states. Built at the state level and below, these exclusivist identities engender inter-communal peace and also undermine efforts at regional cooperation and integration. Both exclusivist identities and Central Asian orientalism are an unfortunate product of the Soviet-era policies that transformed the sociological and psychological fabric of the Central Asian societies. The pre-Soviet identities of the Central Asian peoples had little to do with contemporary ethnic identifications, which were imposed by the nationalities policy of the Soviet Union as a n...

Fourth World Journal , 2025

How did Soviet nationalism impact the diverse ethnic groups of Central Asia? This paper interrogates Soviet “modernization” policy toward different identity groups in modern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Using an International Relations approach, the author problematizes the Leninist ethnoterritorial nationalist framework, arguing the complexities of ethnic identity in the region. As such, the creation of discrete bordered “socialist nations” is an artificial endeavor based on incorrect assumptions about the homogeneity of regional ethnic groups. The repeated divisions of Central Asia during the Bolshevik era attempted to catalyze the development of socialism within governable economic units of the Soviet empire. This phenomenon is clearly articulated in the Ferghana Valley region, which houses Uzbek, Tajik, and Kryrgz populations, among others. The geography of this area is analyzed to highlight the pitfalls of Soviet border delineation. Last, the article further explores the influence of the clan system during the nation-building period and the process of “korenizatsiia” or “indigenization,” which was used strategically by both clan leaders and soviet officials to harness political power.

Learning Objectives: At the end of this lesson, students will be able to LO1: Understand the key components of national identity LO2: Describe the post-Soviet national identity of Kazakhstan LO3: Research and report on the national identities of other former Soviet republics **Day 1

Kyrgyz Nationalism: Problems of Nation-Building and a Plan for the Future , 2016

Article in the collection of essays titled "Kyrgyz Nationalism: Problems of Nation-Building and a Plan for the Future" looks at issues of nationalism in Kyrgyzstan during independence, and explores interconnections of nation-building and state-building processes in the country after he collapse of Soviet Union with issues of identity formation, discusses contemporary nationalistic discourses in Kyrgyzstan, issues of consolidation of the Kyrgyz nation.

After more than two decades since the breakdown of Socialism in Central Asia, an awareness seems to emerge that the future of this region is more determined by its past than many would like to accept. Among the different analytical lenses approaching Central Asian states as a post-Soviet space, the concept of hybridity has played a crucial role but was, as this paper argues, unduly limited to the analysis of polities and politics rather than Central Asian societies at large. The transition and democratisation literatures have used hybridity as a concept to explain Central Asian states' non-compliance or failure to adapt to the institutional isomorphism of the post-Cold War era. To overcome the limitations and failures of such approaches, especially their preoccupation with explaining a 'failed' transformation, it is time to use hybridity as a concept to inquire the social processes that take place in the formation of post-Soviet states within their specific social setting. Looking at the case of Central Asia, particularly Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan, this paper will analyse how Soviet historical heritage is hybridised in the discourse and agency of the formation of states. This analysis will shed light on how historical processes of modernisation, colonisation and secularisation inform today's social processes. Furthermore, it will explicitly adopt a relational perspective on the state and the ways in which it is constituted by society, and vice versa, to augment the state-centrism that has limited other contributions. Departing from a critical discussion of recent arguments that Central Asian statehood should be conceptualised from a post-colonial perspective, the paper will illuminate the colonial experience of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. The analysis then presents examples continuities and changes in the historical emergence of the two countries in order to further conceptualise the post-Soviet trajectory that inextricably links Central Asia's past with its future.

2021

Central Peripheries explores post-Soviet Central Asia through the prism of nation-building. Although relative latecomers on the international scene, the Central Asian states see themselves as globalized, and yet in spite of – or perhaps precisely because of – this, they hold a very classical vision of the nation-state, rejecting the abolition of boundaries and the theory of the ‘death of the nation’. Their unabashed celebration of very classical nationhoods built on post-modern premises challenges the Western view of nationalism as a dying ideology that ought to have been transcended by post-national cosmopolitanism. Marlene Laruelle looks at how states in the region have been navigating the construction of a nation in a post-imperial context where Russia remains the dominant power and cultural reference. She takes into consideration the ways in which the Soviet past has influenced the construction of national storylines, as well as the diversity of each state’s narratives and use of symbolic politics. Exploring state discourses, academic narratives and different forms of popular nationalist storytelling allows Laruelle to depict the complex construction of the national pantheon in the three decades since independence. The second half of the book focuses on Kazakhstan as the most hybrid national construction and a unique case study of nationhood in Eurasia. Based on the principle that only multidisciplinarity can help us to untangle the puzzle of nationhood, Central Peripheries uses mixed methods, combining political science, intellectual history, sociology and cultural anthropology. It is inspired by two decades of fieldwork in the region and a deep knowledge of the region’s academia and political environment. Praise for Central Peripheries ‘The presentation of the history of official narrative-formation and the debate around it as well as the challenges posed by the realities of today’s society is fascinating reading.’ Slavic Review ‘Laruelle, a prolific expert on post-Soviet Central Asia, compiles ten updated essays on nationalist ideologies in the post-Soviet era.’ Foreign Affairs ‘The author’s research is highly commendable as it highlights the promotion of national languages as part of the nation-building process.’ Europe-Asia Studies ‘An important addition to a fairly small body of work on this region of the world. … Essential material to understand the current period in Central Asia.’ Nationalism and Ethnic Politics ‘A much-anticipated book, which is going to become the go-to resource for every reader interested in nationalism in Central Asia.’ New Books Network ‘There is no other book that delves so deeply into the complex issue of Central Asia nation-building. Laruelle offers comprehensive empirical evidence to highlight similarities and differences in the processes whereby the leaderships of four Central Asian states attempted to build their nationhood after the Soviet collapse.’ Luca Anceschi, University of Glasgow ‘Using the concept of hybridity, Laruelle explores the multitude of historical, political and geopolitical factors that predetermine different ways of looking at nations and various configurations of nation-building in post-Soviet Central Asia. Those manifold contexts present a general picture of the transformation that the former southern periphery of the USSR has been going through in the past decades.’ Sergey Abashin, European University at St Petersburg ‘Marlene Laruelle paves the way to the more focused and necessary outlook on Central Asia, a region that is not a periphery but a central space for emerging conceptual debates and complexities. Above all, the book is a product of Laruelle’s trademark excellence in balancing empirical depth with vigorous theoretical advancements.’ Diana T. Kudaibergenova, University of Cambridge

Journal of Borderlands Studies, 2022

This paper highlights the importance of reconsidering the meaning of the nationhood within artificially created borders in Central Asia in both theoretical and regional settings. This paper argues that there is a dichotomy in the images used to describe CA regional relations and nationhood in the IR discipline that either extensively relies on arguments along the lines of rivalry, domination, and spheres of influence or, alternatively, attempts to go beyond rationalist rhetoric by focusing on local understandings of various concepts and terms with little, dialog between these two theoretical camps. This paper emphasizes the way neighborhood in Central Asia is tightly integrated into the nationhood construction through the notions of brotherhood/fraternity (birodarlik/kardoshlik/baurlastyk) and of the shared norms of endurance (sabr) and informal collective decision-making (maslahat) for nationhood and region building. Unpacking these meanings contributes to the task of creating a more diverse and inclusive IR discipline reflective of various regional specificities.