John Schoeberlein Lecture at AUCA

February 8, 2012

On February, 8, at AUCA, John Schoeberlein, a professor of Anthropology department in Harvard University (USA) and Eurasian National University (Kazakhstan), and a Member of the Advisory Board of CASI, presented his current research on a topic: “The Explosion of Post-Soviet Youth Cultures and the Decline of Soviet Conformism.”

John Schoeberlein has conducted over six years of anthropological field research in various parts of Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Kyrgyzstan.  He received Ph.D. in Social Anthropology from Harvard University.  According to ”People of Harvard” website, since 1993, Schoeberlein began to teach courses in the anthropology, history and politics of the region as Lecturer on Central Asian studies at Harvard University. His current research topics include the changing role of Islam in Central Eurasia including issues related to radical Islamism, secular and religious orientations, the politics of culture and national ideology, the impact of national state formation on identity in Central Asia, the impact of economic “reforms” on pastoralism communities, and the changing role of Russian culture in Post-Soviet contexts. 

The main idea of the “The Explosion of Post-Soviet Youth Cultures and the Decline of Soviet Conformism.” research was the emerging non-conformism that has led to a dramatic rise in diverse cultural orientations in youth culture in Central Asia and in the post-Soviet space. He talked about the legacy of Soviet culture today, the changing social role of Islam, and the emerging social role of Japanese cultural forms in post-Soviet countries.

Schoeberlein explained what is “the new cultural orientations,” which include forms of popular culture, reconceptualizations of the "national" and "traditional", foreign influences, and religious cultures.

The professor talked about Georgian weddings, which went back from traditions, and started using Russian elements in wedding ceremonies and clothes, what means, that globalization had its influence on Post-Soviet culture.

Schoeberlein also explained the “challenging of social norms,” when some elements of culture is criticized by older generation or other cultural groups. For example, in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, girls in high schools began to wear hidjab more often. For some people it was a challenge and they misunderstood this trend among young girls, living in Osh.

The last part of the lecture was the popularity of Japanese culture in Post-Soviet world. Young generation is addicted to Anime. They make parties, dedicated to anime characters, create forums and online discussions about their favorite heroes, and wear anime clothes and other staff to look like anime characters. As Schoeberlein stated, “it is a kind of cultural phenomenon.”  

After the lecture, guests and students were given a chance to ask questions about the topic and discussed Post-Soviet Youth Cultures more deeply.

<< go to news list