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Dr. Sophie Roche

Stipendiatin 10/2008 - 03/2009
Verteidigung: 11.06.2010
Prädikat: summa cum laude

Betreuer: PD Dr. Ildikó Bellér-Hann, Prof. Dr. Günther Schlee

Growing Young. On the problem of embedded conflicts in mul-tiethnic youth bulge societies – the example of Tajikistan

Tajikistan was declared a Socialist Soviet Republic (Tajik SSR) only in 1929. It had been designed in the process of nation building in the beginning of the 20th century out of the eastern part of the former Emirate of Bukhara. As one of the last republics, Tajikistan declared its independence on 9 September 1991, however, the transition period turned out turbulent. Eventually the socio-political conflicts took a violent turn that led into a civil war. The political field was divided into two parties, the old communist elite and the opposition, the largest group therein being the Islamic Rebirth Party (IRP). Yet, this duality did not hinder multiple group formations. The war ended officially with a peace agreement signed in 1997.

About 93% of the country consists of mountains unfavourable for agriculture. Adding to this are high fertility rates and ruined industries destroyed by the civil war. Macfarlane (1968) mentioned that social anthropology has failed to investigate population pressure as a source of social change. With respect to Hechter (1988) and other authors, Günther Schlee has mentioned the relevance of size in conflict. I will use this as a starting point to look at demographic size and connection to conflicts. However, the macro-level is only one dimension; individuals' social embedding into different groups is also given considerable space.

In this sense, this dissertation first describes two axes - the vertical hierarchical one within the family and the horizontal one concerning siblings and friends.

The civil war and the economic difficulties over the past decade have led to changes of social relations. Beside the family, also other institutions have proclaimed interest in the group of young people, e.g. the state and opposition parties. Young people are in the focus of different interest groups that try to influence them and thus to influence the future of the country. When speaking of young people, this means about half the population, and thus a demographic size that can hardly be ignored. It must also be stated that this group provides the lot of the actors in violent conflicts.

Literature

• Macfarlane, Alan 1968: Population crisis: anthropology's failure. New Society 10
• Hechter, Michael 1988: Principles of Group Solidarity. Berkley [a.u.]: University of California Press
• Schlee, Günther 2006: Wie Feindbilder entstehen. München: C.H. Beck Verlag

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