GENDER AND SOURCES OF RELIGIOUS INFORMATION IN UZBEKISTAN

ABSTRACT

Following independence in 1991, scholars have noted resurgence in religious expression and mechanisms for religious learning in Uzbekistan. However, not all available sources of religious knowledge have been sanctioned by the state, and acceptable sources for men and women tend to vary. In this context, and framing the study within conceptions of the overall position of women in society and the family, I explore ideas about the availability and perceived quality of forms of Islamic education available to women and men. I use data collected in 2005 and 2006 through observation, focus group discussions, individual in-depth interviews, and conversations with religious leaders. Findings indicate that, while there is some commonality in channels of religious knowledge, the most important sources of religious knowledge and often the content of religious information vary by gender, perhaps contributing to questions of authority and authenticity in women�s religious learning such as those raised by respondents.

KEYWORDS: religious knowledge, gender, observation, focus group, interview, Uzbekistan.