The importance of mahalla
All towns and villages are divided into mahalla, or neighborhoods. Each mahalla has its own council of elders, its otin (women's equivalent of the mullah ). Everyone has the feeling of belonging to a "big family". Neighborhood councils meet several times a month in chaikhanas (tea-serving inns) to discuss common problems, exchange news or simply chat.
These meetings help to forge a particularly strong bond between individuals from the same neighborhood, where mutual aid and services reinforce the sense of social belonging. It was precisely this system that enabled Uzbek society to survive the Karimov era. During this particular era, without clan, family or neighborhood support, people would have found it hard to get by without ending up on the streets. But every service rendered calls for a service in return.
The Soviet legacy
Uzbekistan, and Tashkent in particular, was always Moscow's "darling" during the era of the Soviet Socialist Republics. At the time of independence, the country was particularly well equipped with airports, hospitals, schools and universities compared to its much more rural neighbors. Unfortunately, the massive return of Russian "red feet" left a country in crisis with untrained Uzbeks, and the lack of a constructive policy in this area led to a rapid decline in facilities. This was one of President Mirziyoyev's challenges: to modernize or replace obsolete equipment in public facilities, and to train competent engineers and technicians.
A two-tier education
Education for all was one of the great achievements of the Soviet period. Boys and girls, sitting on the same school benches, benefited from a good level of education. Although times have changed and educational standards are falling (the best schools, which charge fees, are not accessible to all), the country's literacy rate remains high (99%). At school, pupils are divided into Russian, Uzbek and mixed groups. Otherwise, there are a few local schools catering for children from minority ethnic groups, in particular Tajiks, but also Kazakhs and Koreans. Although officially there is equality between these groups, the reality is quite different: mixed Uzbek-Russian schools are the most highly rated.
Secondary school is free and compulsory from age 6 to 15, at which point pupils obtain a diploma equivalent to our BEPC. This is followed by a three-year baccalaureate to complete the secondary curriculum. Students then choose between vocational college and university.
A state involved
State aid is available to help finance studies. Every student receives school supplies. Students are entitled to a state grant, which is the same for everyone at the start of their course. The amount then varies according to academic results.
In remote areas, mountains or deserts, access to education is obviously more limited. Although there are schools, parents' need for manpower, as they work on farms, often forces them to sacrifice their children's education. The universities of Tashkent and Samarkand, and to a lesser extent Ferghana, offer their students a wide choice of courses. While the buildings often date back to the Soviet period, the corridors have generally been repainted in the colors of the national flag.
Clan life
Belonging to a clan is a determining factor in Central Asia. In Uzbekistan, the clan is familial and religious. Sufi brotherhoods have always remained very powerful. The sense of family is not an empty word. As there are no facilities for the elderly, they generally grow old and die at home, in the company of their children. According to tradition, the youngest son is responsible for staying with his parents, living with them and taking care of them. He frequently takes over his father's work, whenever possible. The eldest son is the one responsible for education and a career to enable the family clan to rise in society, often through marital politics.
Older family members are loved and their opinions listened to. This respect for "elders" is reflected in everyday life, in the organization of neighborhood life through theaksakal (literally "white beard") councils. These are an essential link in social life throughout Central Asia. Although the Soviets tried to put an end to them by organizing the administration and appointment of mayors, the opinions of the aksakals are still taken into account.
A codified marriage
You'll no doubt see a great many wedding couples being photographed in front of historic monuments, parks or emblematic city buildings... Marriage is still widespread in Uzbekistan, and very few people choose to remain single. The tradition of arranged marriages persists, although habits are beginning to change in Tashkent. It allows for long-prepared family alliances, in which social status and clan membership are decisive factors. Sometimes the story ends in separation, divorce being legal.
The fiancé's mother is responsible for finding a fiancée. Several codified visits between in-laws and future fiancés take place before the ceremony. The wedding is the occasion for festivities called toï. These are the community's most intense social bond. The entire mahalla is invited to share in the splendor of the meal, the singing and the dancing. And foreign guests are always welcome. The groom's family takes care of the festive meal, while the bride's parents furnish the new house. Weddings are expensive, so it's important to save up as soon as the child is born.
The wedding is celebrated in the presence of the local mullah andotin. Traditional dress is de rigueur. This is followed by a civil wedding. Here, the bride wears a Western-style white dress. Processions often pass by the statues of Tamerlan for photographs. During the day, there's plenty to eat, laugh and dance about. Only the bride and groom do not take part in the festivities: the bride is obliged not to smile for the duration of the wedding, and her husband, although having a little more freedom, is obliged to remain reserved. They eat little and dance rarely, or only at the end of the party.
Over the following days, the bride will display her trousseau in a room of the house, showing the dresses that have been made for her or given to her, and the suzani (an important part of the bride's dowry) that testify to her skill at sewing and embroidery, and the wealth of her family according to the fabrics used. The bride and groom must then observe the chilla rule: for 40 days, the woman must not leave her home, and the man must be home by nightfall.
The place of women
As in many countries, the position of women is on the decline. In Uzbekistan, communism has long ensured a form of gender equality as part of its fight against Islam. If you are welcomed into an Uzbek home, they may stay in the kitchen and serve you without even being introduced to you. But in many families, they will be present throughout the meal, sitting around the table and chatting with guests.
Since the fall of the USSR, and above all the return of Islam, which is likely to become more radical, the changes have been significant. Particularly for those who have lived in big cities and received a higher education. For them, marriage sometimes means a complete change of lifestyle:
-married women don't go out alone - and even less so with male friends.
-she only works if her husband agrees, and she has to take his opinion into account when deciding what to wear.
-she lives with her in-laws even in her husband's absence.
- if there are no male descendants, she will inherit the most thankless jobs.
Nevertheless, they are consulted as part of neighborhood otin , and as they are highly respected, it's not uncommon for men to take advice from them!
