Full Description
Most of the Muslim societies of the world have entered a demographic transition from high to low fertility, and this process is accompanied by an increase in youth vis-a-vis other age groups. Political scientists and historians have debated whether such a "youth bulge" increases the potential for conflict or whether it represents a chance to accumulate wealth and push forward social and technological developments. This book introduces the discussion about youth bulge into social anthropology. Tajikistan, a post-Soviet country that experienced civil war in the 1990s, is in the middle of such a demographic transition. Sophie Roche takes a social anthropological approach to demographic and political dynamics and suggests a new way of thinking about social change in youth bulge societies.
Contents
List of Maps, Figures and Tables Foreword: The Construction of Life Phases and Some Facts of Life Gunther Schlee Acknowledgements Notes on Transliteration and Usage Introduction: Youth (Bulge) and Conflict Chapter 1. Placing the Field Sites in Their Context - A Demographic History Chapter 2. 'Why didn't you take a side?' - The Emergence of Youth Categories, Institutions and Groups Chapter 3. 'Siblings are as different as the five fingers of a hand' - Developmental Cycle of Domestic Groups and Siblingship Chapter 4. 'The Gift of Youth' - Workers, Religious Actors and Migrants Chapter 5. 'The only Thing in Life that Makes you Feel like a King' - Marriage as an Indicator of Social and Demographic Changes Chapter 6. 'Youth are our Future' - The State's Youth Categories Challenged by Youth Conclusion: The Dynamics of Youth Bulge as a Question of Domestication Appendix Glossary of Selected Terms Bibliography
