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concludes A. Knyazev, demonstrate its firm intention further to look for getting a profit in contradictions among external actors, showing the full absence of strategic political thinking and the short-lived pragmatism.
"CredoNew", St.-Petersburg, 2011, N3, pp. 242-267.
Rano Ubaidullayeva,
Academician of the UAS, the Director of the Center for Public Opinion Research SOCIETY AND FAMILY IN UZBEKISTAN
The republic of Uzbekistan as a sovereign independent state is on the threshold of its 20th anniversary. The previous period was the time of dynamic consolidation and development enjoyed by the support of great masses of people and numerous institutions of civil society. A significant place in the system of civil society is occupied by the social institution of family, which may be considered as a quality state of society produced by social actions of individuals within the framework of a particular culture. In this case it is worth mentioning the point of view of a well known scientist J. Toshchenko, who considered social society in the aspect of "sociology of life". To the mind of the scientist, civil society should be defined as an "aggregate of historically organized forms of common activities of life as well as the common human values, which are used by the people as the guide to action in all spheres of social life... Just therefore civil society should be regarded in the light of "phenomenon of human being". The public opinion poll carried on in February 2011 concludes the analysis of the results of the research in dynamics for 2009 and 2011. The sample aggregate consisted of 4000 respondents from all regions of the country.
The social orientations and aims of Uzbek families. One of the main tasks of the research was to find out the meaning and the views of the citizens of the country about the main functions of family in life of society. The poll showed that the perceptions of the Uzbek people for the studied period had changed insignificantly: the number of citizens, who consider that the main function of family consists in education of the young generation, had reduced to some extent. It may testify to a rise of the percent of the population replacing the educational function exclusively on education institutions. However, the population of the republic attaches great importance to the rising family's role in consolidation of stability and security in the country.
The poll showed as follows: a rather small rise of the number of respondents (from 46.8% in 2009 to 47.6% in 2011), who consider that family gives strength to certitude in life. In the opinion of 38.3% of the citizens, the main function of family in human life is birth and education of children. For the period of the research, the number of respondents considering that family was needed for the support of old people increased by 5.2%.
One of the factors having impact on creation of the harmonic family is the age of the married man and woman. The Uzbek society is marked by the rising number of people, who think that the men should marry at a mature age of 26-27 years or 28 years and older. The number of men, who marry at the earlier age of 21-23 and 24-25 years (55% and 45.4%, correspondingly), is subject to reduction.
The almost equal number of respondents in city and rural regions consider that the men may and should marry at the age of 24-25 years. A greater number of city dwellers (38.4%) than rural districts' residents (35.4%) answered that the most favorable age for marriage should be the age from 26 years. As far as the most desirable women's age for marriage is considered, its definite rise was marked. In 2009, most
respondents (52.1%) considered that the best age for marriage is the period from 18 to 20 years, while in 2011 the number of citizens giving the same response was reduced by 13.2%. The number of respondents considering that young women should better marry at the age from 21 to 23 years rose almost by 13.9%. The number of respondents, who regard that the age from 24 to 25 years as the best wage for women to marry, rose insignificantly.
More than half of the city and rural residents regard as an optimal women's age for marriage to be the period from 21 to 23 years (54.3% and 53.5%, correspondingly). There are more rural residents than city dwellers, who are convinced that the girls should marry at the age of 24-25 years. The prevailing meaning in public consciousness is as follows: the young people should be informed about each other as much as possible before they come to the important and responsible decision in life concerning marriage and creation of family. It is shown by the growth of the number of respondents (from 50.3% to 55%), who consider the boys and girls should meet for the period of time from a half of year to one year before they decide to create their family. To the mind of 27% of the respondents, the period of preliminary acquaintance should be not less than one year, while 28% of the respondents considered that this period should last not less than half a year.
Under present conditions, of great importance is preparation of young people for creation of the family: 26.4% of respondents assert that the mother should educate her girls for family life; to the mind of 15.9% respondents, the father was responsible for preparation of his sons for marriage. The number of people considering that school and other education institutions should be responsible for preparation of young people for family life rose by 2.4%.
In Uzbekistan, there exist legislative foundations, which obligate young people to be subject to medical check-up before marriage. All
polls, carried out for the last years, showed that the absolute majority of citizens support this provision of the law. The results of the poll in 2011 demonstrate the growth of this trend. The analysis of the data by gender and age of the residents discovered complete identity of meanings on the need of medical examination of the aspirants for marriage.
The results of the poll showed the rise of the people, who are convinced that the parents should have a deciding voce in marriage. It demonstrates that the tradition to recognize the parents' authority in all matters, including marriage, is still widely spread. The poll fixed the changes in relation to the procedure of taking decisions on creation of family in the minds of citizens: Uzbeks and other indigenous representatives of the peoples of the Central Asia. Thus, in 2009 the number of Uzbeks considering that the parents should have the deciding voice in the question of family creation was almost by 2% less than the number of Uzbek respondents, who provided the decisive voice in marriage for the young people (boys and girls); in 2011 the proportions changed, and the percentages became almost equal. The research discovered the direct proportional connection between the age of the respondents and their position on the question of who should have the deciding voice in the process of creation of family.
The consciousness of many generations was firmly marked by the perception that the esteem of the parents and the elder people was an important indication of culture, morality and ethic. This conviction is incorporated in consciousness of the contemporary Uzbek generation proved by the poll's results: the absolute majority of the respondents (99.8%) hold the meaning that the parents' blessing is the needed condition for marriage. The analysis of the data received by the poll showed that the citizens, irrespective of age, religion and material situation and nationality, express respect to their parents and take into account their views before marriage.
The issue of the attitude to the marriage contract was studied in the course of the research. According to article 30 of the Family Code of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the marriage contract may be concluded both before the state registration of marriage and in the period of marriage. The number of respondents, who regard that the marriage contract should be concluded before the state registration, was reduced almost by 1%, while simultaneously the number of advocates of a more free approach to marriage rose by 5.9%: the marriage contracts may be concluded by the accord of the future married couple. The social-demographic analysis of this issue showed that the marriage contract is supported mainly by citizens at the age of from 40 to 59 years, who do not stick strictly to the religious way of life.
The poll of the public opinion showed that the Uzbeks occupy the different approach to decision of the question of the needed conditions for creating the family. Each second resident of the country considers that first of all it is necessary to ensure the material independence of the newly married couple. The number of the people, who are convinced that primarily to create a new family the young people should marry for love, was reduced by 4.9% comparing with the previous research. Almost every third respondent (31.2%) considers as a deciding condition for marriage the good health of the young people and their ability to give birth to a healthy child: the number of such respondents increased almost by 2%. Each fifth respondent (21.6%) shares the view that the newly-weds should possess the permanent separate apartment before they create their family.
Thus, the majority of citizens in Uzbekistan hold the view that the pre-conditions for the solid and happy family are as follows: content, peace and calmness, mutual understanding and respect, love and spiritual alliance (62.6%), as well as material well-being ensuring a
good level of living (25.3%). Every eleventh respondent answered that the family members are happy, if they have children (14.8%).
Reproductive directions and health of citizens
The poll showed the trend to consolidation of reproductive directions of citizens. Over half of the population of the country fully agrees with the assertion that the children provide the family with the main sense and value. For the last two years, this index has risen (from 45.6% in 2009 to 58.6% in 2011). The children have been and are the main value of the Uzbek family. This conclusion is proved by the fact that the great majority (81.6%) of respondents has children, and this indication has been stable for several years. According to every third respondent (36.9%), it is better to give birth to four and more children and to have them in family. There has increased the number of respondents, who regard three children in family as an optimal number. The number of responses, which mention "two children", was reduced by 8.7%. Every fourth respondent considers that the optimal age of women for birth of the first child should be from 20 to 22 years. The main condition of keeping the reproductive woman's health is the need to keep to the time interval between the births. According to medical indications, it lasts not less than three years. The answers of the respondents in the course of the poll demonstrate a rather great rise of knowledge's rate of citizens in Uzbekistan in this matter for the late years.
The received results demonstrate a stable conviction of the citizens, who regard that the decision on the birth of the other child should be taken jointly by husband and wife. This indication actually remained at the level of the year of 2009 and made 75.3%. The number of respondents fixing the exclusive right of husband for deciding the question of birth of the next child rose insignificantly (by 0.9%).
For one third (32.6%) of the country's citizens the main factor having impact on the birth of another child is the wish to have not only one child, while for the other group of people (23%) - the material factor. In 2009 the family's material level of living was the deciding factor for 18.6% of the respondents. The percent of respondents, who made the decision on the birth of another child with due account of health of mother, was risen. The majority (48%) of citizens of Uzbekistan regard the mother's ability to give birth to a healthy child as a reproductive health. Each fifth respondent mentioned the health of mother and child, while the health of father was not mentioned by them.
The reproductive right is the right for non-interference in personal life, which means an independent reproductive choice and provision of all services in the sphere of protection of reproductive health. The number of respondents, who are aware of this notion, consisted of the following groups: 43% of respondents regard that it is connected with the individual's right for health, 28.1% - with the right to give birth or not to give birth, 15.1% - with family planning, and for 8.9% of respondents the reproductive right is associated with the right for free medical treatment. The attitude of citizens to the issues of family planning was also revealed. The received data showed the annual growth of the share of those, who estimates family planning as a needed and positive measure which provides family with healthy and wished children, their material well-being and good education.
The number of respondents supporting the devices against not wished pregnancy was augmented. For instance, the corresponding index rose from 76.7% in 2009 to 81% in 2011. The negative attitude to abortion was revealed as follows: 40.4% of respondents admit abortion only in case of a threat to health of mother or child. Every eighth respondents expressed the negative attitude to abortion.
Parents and children. Education
The poll showed that 60.2% of the respondents consider the role of the parents, who primarily exert efforts to foster in children the national traditional values to become a good person. To the mind of 27.3% of respondents, education of children consists in preparation of them for their self-dependent life, i.e. the parents' duty is to give them good education or to give them a chance to learn a trade, to inculcate in them a healthy way of life. The majority of them (77.8%) think that both parents (mother and father) should be equally charged with education of children. Each seventh group of respondents (14.6%) has the meaning that education of children is the exclusive obligation of mother, while 5.4% of respondents hold the view that it is the father's obligation. The following order of the character's features subject to education by the parents in their children was determined: diligence, patriotism and respect for parents (38.6%); humanity, generosity and honesty (19.6%); quickness of wit, education and competence (18.7%); adroitness, enterprise and competence (15.6%); cleanliness, truthfulness, breeding, decency and healthy way of life (15.7%); self-dependence (8.1%); love and solicitude, kindness (7.9%); purposefulness and persistence (7.2%); responsibility and discipline (2.8%); patience (1.8%).
Mutual relations among family members
The family structure characteristic for the Uzbek society was brought to light in the course of the research. The poll once more proved that the nuclear family was characteristic for Uzbekistan, i.e. the family composed of two parents (father and mother) and their children (58.1%). For the last two years, the number of nuclear families reduced almost by 5%with simultaneous rise of the number of three-generations families, which occupy the second place in the family structure. 54
By definition, the three-generation family type is the family composed of parents, children and grand parents. For the last two years, the quantity index of such families has risen insignificantly. Taking into account the fact that some functions devoted to education of children are performed by elders, the joint residence with grandfather and grandmother may be regarded as a positive factor of forming the completely valuable young generation.
The great majority of Uzbek families are characterized by good relations among family members (80.3%). At the same time, in 2009 the proportion between the families with good and satisfactory relations was 10:1 (i.e. for 10 families with good mutual relations there was | 1 family with satisfactory relations), while in 2011 this proportion was 5:1. Of the whole number of the respondents, 42.5% of them said that their family relations were based on mutual respect, mutual understanding, tolerance and spiritual kinship, while the meanings of women and men on this matter were actually identical. What are the realized and the wished relations of domination/subordination in Uzbek families? As the poll showed, 80.5% of the respondents admitted that in their families the domination belongs to father/husband (the patriarchal family type). Besides, almost in every twentieth family the domination is performed by the elders (grandfathers and grandmothers).
According to the great majority of the questioned citizens (92.9%), each family should have the head of the family (the paternalistic family type). The adepts of the consensual family type (1.8%) regard that in general there should be no head in the family. The others (5.3%) found difficulty in replying. The argument that without its head the family would lack the order was expressed by more than half of the respondents (53.5%). According to the meaning of 22.2% of the respondents, the family needs the indisputable authority, since otherwise a conflict will be inevitable. Each seventh respondent
(15.8%) expressed the meaning that the family head is needed for a reasonable and calculating governance of the family budget. The meaning that the family head is needed for maintaining the natural authority of the man was expressed by 8.5% of the respondents.
The consolidation of legal and economic equality of men and women determined the passage from authoritarian to democratic system of relations in the family. The results of the poll prove it. For instance, important family relations are taken by consent between husband and wife in 35.9% of Uzbek families, while in each ninth family (10.8%) -by all its members. At the same time, the level of these indexes rises. The final decision on important issues concerning all and individual member is taken by father/husband in 45.2% of families. The level of this index goes down.
Simultaneously, it was revealed that the city turned out to be more democratic comparing with the rural region, since over there the important family decisions are taken in 36.7% of families jointly by mother and father, by husband and wife. For 26.4 % of families the primary conditions for creation of firm, happy and successful family are the spiritual values; for 27.4% of families the material-financial well-being is an important condition; the third place is occupied by mutual respect and tolerance (20%). The main foundations of traditional respect for the parents and elders, which are the main national cultural
values of the Uzbek people, remained unshakeable.
* * *
The analysis of the research results revealed the following tendencies: for the great majority of Uzbeks the family remains a significant social institution. It does not forfeit its value for the country's population and remains the sphere of the efforts exerted to achieve success in life. The perceptions of citizens of Uzbekistan on the
key family's functions changed insignificantly. The citizens see the main predestination and social function of family in society's life in ensuring and strengthening of stability of the state as a whole. Much prominence is given to the fact that there grows the share of citizens, who consider that the main function of family consists in education of the harmonically developed generation. At the same time, the population regards as its necessity to intensify participation of education institutions (schools, colleges, lyceums and higher education institutions) in the process of enlightenment.
The polls of the public opinion revealed the emergence of new trends in relation to the age census of the young people, who marry and create families. One may see the evident growth of the percent of the people, who mention the optimal age for marriage both for men (26-28 years and older) and for women (21-23-25 years). More and more citizens of Uzbekistan come to hold the meaning that the young people before marriage should get profession and become self-dependent in terms of their economic position. The priorities of the citizens of Uzbekistan in questions of marriage gradually started to change. Despite the fact that most respondents as usual consider that the most stable and prosperous families were based on mutual life, the percent of citizens sharing this point of view decreased.
Every year grew the share of citizens, who consider the family planning as a necessary and positive measure giving a chance to have healthy and desired children, to ensure their material well-being and good education. One could note the greater number of respondents, who were convinced in joint responsibility of husband and wife for family planning. More and more citizens regard that the most essential decisions on significant problems of family life should be taken by father and mother, who jointly educate their children. According to the research data, over half of the citizens of Uzbekistan (53.6%) prefer the
consensual family type (the important decisions in the family should be taken jointly, and husband and wife equally are responsible for education of children), while 46.4% of the respondents were supporters of the Uzbek paternalistic model of family (man as the head of family takes important decisions, he is the bread-winner, mother is the keeper of family hearth).
The data of the poll demonstrates that the perceptions of citizens on the status of man and woman in family were not subject to changes. As usual, the great majority of families (80.5%) consider that father/husband should be the family head, and his key obligations consist in ensuring its material well-being, while the main functions of woman are as follows: education of children, carrying out of home work and determination of moral climate in family. For the years of independence, thanks to creation of conditions for the growth of economic self-dependence of women, more and more women started to be engaged in business activities, which positively contribute to the rise of family income and of its well-being.
The arranged poll of public opinion gave the conclusive proof that historic and cultural values as well as original traditions had been kept in society of Uzbekistan and were transferred from generation to generation. To the mind of citizens of the country, the resuscitated spiritual values, including family values, are regarded as a process of growth of national self-consciousness, a return to the spiritual sources of the people. The policy aimed at support of the family institution carried out in Uzbekistan is met with approval by all peoples of the country, since it is not engaged in terms of any ethnic group, i.e. this policy is directed to support of family irrespective of its ethnic origin. The great majority of the population of all social strata, ages and nationalities (96.5%) approve and support the strategy of the head of the state directed to consolidation of the family institution, particularly
of young families as a significant condition of preservation of peace and stability in the country.
"SotsIs; Sotsiological issledovaniya ", M, 2011, N10, pp. 8-98.
EDUCATION, YOUTH AND ISLAM: GROWING POPULARITY OF PRIVATE RELIGIOUS LESSONS IN DUSHANBE, TAJIKISTAN
M. Stephan of the Institute of Asian and African Studies, Humboldt University in Berlin, explains the constantly growing popularity of private religious lessons in Dushanbe by the fact that they contribute to satisfying the growing interest of the urban Moslem population in the foundations of Islam, help parents to tackle educational tasks and allow young Muslims to take part in public life and express their religious affiliation. Besides, the growing number of study groups at mosques shows the strengthening positions of Islam in Tajikistan, and at the same time the weakening of the state educational system.
According to a Tajik tradition, "javoni" ("youth") is the time when a Muslim prepares himself for fulfilling duties in the family, at work, and in social life. At this stage of the life cycle a special role is given to education ("tarbia"). This notion covers a whole range of educational and pedagogic measures which the elder members of society carry on in order to show a young person the "right way" ("rohi rost"), teach him to live according to the existing cultural tradition and system of relations. The Tajiks have always given special meaning and significance to religious education. Public polls carried out among the inhabitants of Dushanbe show that representatives of all social groups without exception consider the standards of Islam to be the most
