The importance of mahalla
The mahalla refers to the neighborhood, i.e. the first link in the social organization in Uzbekistan. Each mahalla has its council of elders, its otin (equivalent of the mullah for women). All cities and villages are divided into mahalla where everyone has the feeling of belonging to a "big family". The neighborhood councils of each mahalla meet several times a month in the chaikhanas to discuss common problems, exchange news or discuss other things. These meetings create a particularly strong bond between individuals in the same neighborhood where, in the end, everyone ends up owing a favor to the other, and everyone ends up finding the help they need. This is precisely the system of mutual aid that has allowed Uzbek society to survive the Karimov era. According to the presidential information of the time, the country did not suffer from inflation, crime, unemployment, or HIV... Faced with this official version denying the state of society, it is the clan, family or neighborhood support that allowed people to get by without ending up on the street. But beware, mutual aid is not only disinterested, and each service rendered calls for a service in return.
The Soviet legacy
Uzbekistan, and in particular Tashkent, was always the "darling" of Moscow during the time of the Soviet Socialist Republics. And the country was, at independence, particularly well equipped with airports, hospitals, schools and universities compared to its neighbors who remained much more rural. Unfortunately, although the legacy of this equipment remained in Uzbekistan's hands, the people who kept the machine running were mainly Russians, most of whom returned to the country in the early 1990s, leaving the orders for all this equipment to untrained Uzbeks and a country in crisis, which, in the absence of a truly constructive policy in this area, quickly fell into decline. This is one of the challenges that President Mirziyoyev will have to face: to modernize or replace obsolete equipment in public structures and to train engineers and technicians capable of managing new equipment.
A two-tier education
Education for all was one of the great achievements of the Uzbeks during the Soviet period. Boys and girls, on the same school benches, have for generations benefited from a good level of education. Even though times have changed and the level has unfortunately dropped (the best schools are not accessible to the majority of the population), the country's literacy rate remains at 99%. At school, students are divided into several groups: Russian group, Uzbek group and mixed group. There are also a few local schools for children of ethnic minorities, especially Tajiks, but also Kazakhs and Koreans. Although officially there is equality between these groups, the reality is quite different as the mixed Uzbek-Russian schools are the most highly rated, but this transition is nevertheless necessary given the reappearance of Uzbek as the national language after decades of Russian use.
Secondary school is free and compulsory from the age of 6 to 15, at which time students obtain a diploma equivalent to our BEPC. This is followed by three years of high school leading to the baccalaureate, which completes the secondary school curriculum. Students then choose between vocational college and university.
A state involved
There is state aid for education funding. Each student receives school supplies. Students are entitled to a state scholarship, which is the same for all students at the beginning of their studies. The amount varies afterwards according to academic performance.
In remote areas, mountains or desert, access to education is obviously more limited. If schools are present, the need for labor of parents who work in farms often forces them to sacrifice the education of their children. The universities of Tashkent and Samarkand, as well as the one, to a lesser extent, of Ferghana, offer a wide choice of courses to their students. The premises often date back to the Soviet period, and a certain atmosphere of that time sometimes continues to linger there, even if the corridors have been repainted in the colors of the national flag.
A strict family framework
Clan membership is a defining element of Central Asian society. In Uzbekistan, the clan is familial - it also depends on the mahalla, the neighbourhood from which one comes - and religious. Sufi brotherhoods have always been very powerful. The sense of family is not an empty word in Uzbekistan. As there are no facilities for the elderly, they usually grow old and die at home, together with their children. According to the tradition, it is the youngest son who is responsible for staying with his parents, living with them and taking care of them in their old age. He frequently takes over his father's work, whenever possible. The eldest son is the one who is responsible for education and career, to allow the family clan to rise in society, often through marital politics. Until the last day, the oldest members of the family are loved and their opinions listened to. This same respect for the "elders" is also found in everyday life, in the organization of neighborhood life around the councils ofaksakals(literally "white beards"). These are an essential link in the social life of Uzbekistan, as elsewhere in Central Asia. And if the Soviets tried to put an end to them through the modern means of administration and the appointment of mayors, the opinions of the aksakals are still almost everywhere respected to the letter.
Rites still very codified
You will probably see, in the most emblematic places of the country, a lot of married couples coming to be photographed in front of historical monuments, parks or emblematic buildings of a city... Marriage is still very common in Uzbekistan, and few people remain single. The woman obviously remains a virgin until the wedding and it is often arranged, although habits are beginning to change in Tashkent. Moreover, since divorce is legal, there are a large number of such arranged marriages which quickly fail. Arranged marriages are family alliances prepared for a long time, where social status and membership in a clan are determining elements, while the age of the spouses and their character traits are rather secondary criteria of choice. The man is expected to provide for the material needs of all his wives and children, and a marriage is expensive. The bridegroom's mother is responsible for finding a bride. Several codified visits between in-laws and future fiancés take place before the ceremony. The wedding is the occasion of all the festivities called toï. They constitute the most intense social link of the community. The entire mahalla, or village, is invited to share in the splendor of the meal, the songs and the dances. And foreign guests are always welcome. The groom's family usually provides the festive meal, and the bride's parents furnish the new house. A wedding is expensive, and parents start saving money as soon as their child is born so that the ceremony is accompanied by all the appropriate pomp and circumstance. The wedding is celebrated in the presence of the mullah and the localotin , where traditional dress is required. It is followed by a civil wedding for which the bride is dressed in a white western dress. It is common to see wedding convoys passing by the few points where the bride and groom like to have their picture taken, usually near the statues of Tamerlan. Wedding ceremonies are a striking example of the ability of a hard-working people to have fun and celebrate. People eat, laugh and dance to enjoy every second of the event. Only the bride and groom themselves do not seem to be at the party. If the bride seems indisposed, don't be surprised. She is required not to smile during the entire wedding. Her husband has a little more freedom, but is also very reserved. They don't eat much and rarely dance, or only at the end of the party. During the following days, the bride will display in a room her trousseau: all the dresses that have been made or given to her. The suzani are also an important part of the bride's dowry: they show not only her skill in sewing and embroidery, but also, depending on the fabric, the wealth of her family. The bride and groom must then respect the chilla rule: for a period of 40 days, the woman must not leave her home and the man must be back before nightfall.
The difficult place of women
As in all Muslim countries, the place of women is not the most enviable. But in Uzbekistan it has the merit to exist and to be in some respects broader than elsewhere. If you are welcomed in an Uzbek home, most of the time the woman may stay in the kitchen and serve you without even being introduced to you. But in many families you will have the chance to see her present throughout the meal, sometimes even sitting around the table chatting with the guests. This is the result of the communist policy which for years tried to impose this gender equality as part of its fight against Islam.
Nevertheless, women have suffered the full force of the change in society that has taken place since the fall of the USSR and the return of Islam. The most surprised are obviously those who have lived in big cities and received a higher education. For them, marriage sometimes leads to a total change of lifestyle. The married woman does not go out alone - and even less with male friends - she works if her husband agrees, and must take his opinion into account for her dress code... Many women cannot accept to be at the bottom of the social and family ladder. Especially since the house, when the husband is not there, is not necessarily their domain. The woman often lives with her in-laws, and if she has no male offspring, she will inherit the most thankless work, the mother-in-law being her direct boss. Among the roles that are in any case devolved to her, she transmits the tradition, but only within the family framework. As for the neighborhood otin , they are highly respected, and it is not uncommon for men to come to them for advice.
