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Political vs Everyday Forms of Governance in Uzbekistan: the Illegal, Immoral and Illegitimate Politics and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Eurasia

Urinboyev, Rustam LU ; Polese, Abel ; Svensson, Måns LU ; Adams, Laura L and Kerikmae, Tanel (2018) In Studies of Transition States and Societies 10(1). p.50-64
Abstract
Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Uzbekistan, this article looks at the way official state narratives are challenged by silent, unorganised, often unaware gestures of resistance at the bottom of a society. Footing on a framework suggested by Scott’s definition of infrapolitics (2012), we propose to incorporate informal practices in a definition of informality that is more inclusive and better explains the anatomy of a modern state, whose functioning rests on a combination of formal and informal practices. We suggest that this everyday dimension is of particular importance here when trying to understand the governance trajectories, as it allows to look critically, and from a broader perspective, at situations where individual and... (More)
Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Uzbekistan, this article looks at the way official state narratives are challenged by silent, unorganised, often unaware gestures of resistance at the bottom of a society. Footing on a framework suggested by Scott’s definition of infrapolitics (2012), we propose to incorporate informal practices in a definition of informality that is more inclusive and better explains the anatomy of a modern state, whose functioning rests on a combination of formal and informal practices. We suggest that this everyday dimension is of particular importance here when trying to understand the governance trajectories, as it allows to look critically, and from a broader perspective, at situations where individual and state perception of events, but also individual and state morality, diverge.

By doing this, we propose that governance in transition states and societies may be regarded as a space where formal institutions and citizens (or informal institutions) compete for power and resources and thereby produce informal, alternative ‘legal orders’ and mechanisms that regulate public life in a given area. We will suggest that such a space of informal negotiation is vital in contexts where collective mobilisation and public articulation of social claims is not a preferred, or even available, strategy for citizens. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Central Asia, everyday, Governance, informality, Uzbekistan
in
Studies of Transition States and Societies
volume
10
issue
1
pages
50 - 64
publisher
Tallin University, Estonia
external identifiers
  • scopus:85051083767
ISSN
1736-8758
project
Migration, Shadow Economy and Parallel Legal Orders in Russia
Migration and Legal Cultures in Post-Soviet Societies: Ethnographic Study of Uzbek Migrant Workers and Their Families
An exploration of the nature of informal economies and shadow practices in the former USSR region
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
c2a14077-68fc-4444-a0eb-e701ed31221d
alternative location
http://publications.tlu.ee/index.php/stss/article/view/347/521
date added to LUP
2018-07-02 12:29:50
date last changed
2023-04-08 14:21:19
@article{c2a14077-68fc-4444-a0eb-e701ed31221d,
  abstract     = {{Based on extensive ethnographic fieldwork in Uzbekistan, this article looks at the way official state narratives are challenged by silent, unorganised, often unaware gestures of resistance at the bottom of a society. Footing on a framework suggested by Scott’s definition of infrapolitics (2012), we propose to incorporate informal practices in a definition of informality that is more inclusive and better explains the anatomy of a modern state, whose functioning rests on a combination of formal and informal practices. We suggest that this everyday dimension is of particular importance here when trying to understand the governance trajectories, as it allows to look critically, and from a broader perspective, at situations where individual and state perception of events, but also individual and state morality, diverge.<br/><br/>By doing this, we propose that governance in transition states and societies may be regarded as a space where formal institutions and citizens (or informal institutions) compete for power and resources and thereby produce informal, alternative ‘legal orders’ and mechanisms that regulate public life in a given area. We will suggest that such a space of informal negotiation is vital in contexts where collective mobilisation and public articulation of social claims is not a preferred, or even available, strategy for citizens.}},
  author       = {{Urinboyev, Rustam and Polese, Abel and Svensson, Måns and Adams, Laura L and Kerikmae, Tanel}},
  issn         = {{1736-8758}},
  keywords     = {{Central Asia; everyday; Governance; informality; Uzbekistan}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{50--64}},
  publisher    = {{Tallin University, Estonia}},
  series       = {{Studies of Transition States and Societies}},
  title        = {{Political vs Everyday Forms of Governance in Uzbekistan: the Illegal, Immoral and Illegitimate Politics and Legitimacy in Post-Soviet Eurasia}},
  url          = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/47277536/347_1942_1_PB.pdf}},
  volume       = {{10}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}