The 'Culture of Civility' (odob) and Its Influence on the Educational System in Uzbekistan
The series of regular workshops united under the title of “Soviet and Post-soviet education: the research perspectives” aims at introducing current educational practices in former Soviet states of Central Asia, social-economic and cultural environment of education there, launching a discussion of research problems and assumptions among students and scholars.
The first seminar was dedicated to education in Uzbekistan, and it featured a presentation by Jesko Shmoller, post-doctoral research fellow at the European University St. Petersburg and the Centre for Comparative History and Political Studies in Perm.
His research, “The culture of civility (odob) and its influence on the educational system in Uzbekistan”, covered the topics of ‘odob’, or the culture of civility, which is a key phenomenon of the Uzbek society, and the part educational institutions (including the relations between teachers and students) play in its formation.
The presentation was followed by an hour and a half long discussion that touched upon such captivating subjects, as
- The phenomenon of the “culture of civility” within traditions of other Central Asian countries;
- The balance between individual spirituality and collective morals in societies with different cultural traditions;
- The necessity of cultural relativism approach in ethnographic research;
- The problems of ageism and gender inequality in Uzbek society.
The seminar’s working language was English, and its chairs were Isak Froumin, Elena Minina, Dmitry Semyonov, Sergey Zair-Bek.