Women of protest,men of applause: political activism,gender and tradition in Kyrgyzstan

ABSTRACT

Tradition has come to play an important role throughout Central Asia in a number of new ways since independence, but has been predominantly investigated regarding nation building. In this article, we show how tradition is being used operationally in the context of activism and political conflict. We expose the various motivations and tactics pursued by aksakals (lit., whitebeards) and by a movement of mature women called OBON (lit., Women Units for Special Purposes) as they participate in politics, and the role tradition plays in these activities. We argue that aksakals actively draw on tradition even in the political realm to avoid being derogatorily labelled ‘elders on duty’, whereas OBON women position themselves as economic and political actors but are subjected to discourses and practices of tradition by others. While both aksakals and OBON women have been central to political action in Kyrgyzstan in the last two decades, this article is the first to compare and contrast these two categories of unusual activists. The comparison reveals a perpetuation of culturally recognized gender roles even when these actors go beyond their ‘traditional’ realms of competence.     

Evaluating The Bush Menu for Change in the Middle East

These contributions were presented at a roundtable of the Conference Group on the Middle East, "Evaluating the Bush Menu for Change in the Middle East," at the American Political Science Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, September 5, 2004.     

Characteristics of individuals petitioned for civil commitment

This article explores the demographic and criminal characteristics of a group of sex offenders currently residing in a facility for civilly committed sex offenders. Legal and clinical records were used and data coded. This sample is compared to published data on a group of civilly committed sex offenders in another state. Results indicated that there were numerous similarities and some differences between the two groups. Further research needs to be conducted on civilly committed sex offenders in other states to better understand this population.     

The Liberal-National Government and Youth: 'Training for Real Jobs'

The Liberal-National party government is making major changes to a number of policy settings. It pledged a commitment to a strict program of budgetary restraint in its first Budget of August 1996. Its Workplace Relations and Other Legislation Amendment Bill (1996) signified its intention to introduce a 'revolutionary new era' in Australian industrial relations. This involved introducing individual employment contracts, limiting the Australian Industrial Relations Commission's (AIRC) powers and reducing unions' role in enterprise bargaining. Less noticeable has been the government's pursuit of major reforms to Australia's education and training policies. These education and training initiatives are taking place in a context of seemingly permanent unemployment or what has been called 'the end of work' (Rifkin 1995). If such claims overstate the case, the training and education initiatives are occurring in the wake of 'normal, autonomised processes of modernisation' which are opening paths to a new post-industrial order (Beck 1994: 3). But there are a number of questions to be raised about the extent to which a concern for equity and the protection of those most at risk in such a process may be compromised by complete faith in, and too eager a support for, market processes.     

The individuation process from a social-cognitive perspective in kibbutz adolescents

This study explores the individuation process, from a social-cognitive perspective, among kibbutz adolescents and youth. Individuation is defined as the separation of the self from the family. The individuation interview, Selman's self-awareness measure, and the Lunzer test were administered to 4th, 7th, and 10th grades, and to a post-high school group (N=61). Results confirmed age increases in individuation as follows: Late childhood subjects, consolidating on Level 1, exhibit identification with parental views while individual perspectives are secondary. Early adolescents, on Level 2, demonstrate increased self-awareness and the beginning of a decline of the parental view. Midadolescents, on Level 3, are characterized by the prominance of their self-system while the parental view becomes secondary. Late adolescents (young adults), on Level 4, show an ability to integrate the parental view within the self-system without loss of individuality. Furthermore, construct validation confirms the common as well as the discriminant qualities of the individuation sequence to self-awareness and Piagetian logical development. These results support the developmental sequence of the individuation construct in the kibbutz adolescent and fit the individuation model (Mazor, 1985) in a cross-cultural perspective.The research for this paper was funded in part by Seminar Hakibbutzim.Received Ph.D. from The University of Wisconsin-Madison. Current research in the parent-child relationship through adolescence.