The Transformation of Central Asia: States and Societies from Soviet Rule to Independence

In This Superb Collection Of Essays, Eight Scholars Bring New Data And Fresh Insights To Key Questions Of The Relationship Of State And Society In Post-Soviet Central Asia That Require Us To Rethink Conventional Understandings Of The Region. Instead Of A Simple Rejection Of The Communist Past And A Return To Traditionalism Or Islam, The Transformation Has Incorporated Large Doses Of The Soviet Experience. The Transformation Of Central Asia Is Based On Extensive Field Work, Deep Local Knowledge, And Conceptual Sophistication. It Is A Major Contribution Both To Our Knowledge Of Central Asia And To The Theoretical Discussion Of The State. Ronald Sunny, University Of Chicago. The Contributors To This Volume Compare State-Building And State-Society Interactions In The Five Post-Soviet Central Asian States. In The Process, They Offer Us Some Surprising And Compelling Insights About National, Religious, Gender, And Regional Identities In Central Asia: About Political And Economic Relations Between The Center And The Regions; And About The Impact Of The International System On The Development Of These States, Societies, And Economies. This Story Of A Soviet Past That Shapes Politics, Culture, And Economics Is A Convincing One, Because The Scholars Writing In This Volume Combine Deep Knowledge Of The Region With A Commitment To Comparative Theory. Valerie Bunce, Professor Of Government And The Aaron J. Binenkorb, Professor Of International Studies. Cornell University.(Published In Collaboration With Cornell University Press )