The Family in Central Asia

This book takes an interdisciplinary approach to the family in Central Asia by bringing together new research, old theories, new and classic methods and technologies. We aim to adopt a whole range of diverse methodological approaches to investigate family-related issues in Central Asia, including the following: the state-family interface in terms of state interventions into the domestic sphere, reproduction, and the status of women; family in migration and resulting changes or lack thereof in family concepts (e.g., descent) and practices (e.g., dowry, bride price); adaptations in the family to changing conditions such as nutrition and religion; and the evolution and globalisation of family forms and relationships across time and space. Through various methodologies we intend to access and study the dynamic changes that have shaped the region over several centuries. The family, in this context, opens concrete, comparative and flexible perspectives to address these questions. The book is organized into six larger sections each with three chapters. Each chapter consists of an autobiographical note that introduces the reader to the author’s disciplinary background, research interests, as well as the sources used and approaches taken in the subsequent article. The book is the result of a conference held in 2014 and organized by the research group “The Demographic Turn in the Junction of Cultures” at the Cluster of Excellence “Asia and Europe in a Global Context” at the University of Heidelberg. Sophie Roche (leader of the group), Swetlana Torno, Said Reza Kazemi and Sayyora Mukhamedova are core members of the group that has worked on issues of care, migration, family and demographic changes.