Subject: Greetings to members of the Ferghana discussion list!
From: Ferghana Valley Development Programme (fvdp@elcat1.osh.su)
Date: Mon Apr 05 1999 - 23:55:04 EDT
Greetings to members of the Ferghana discussion list!
I'll just make a quick introduction and hope that I can learn and contribute
more to the discussion as time goes on. Having only arrived in Kyrgyzstan
in October, I am still finding my feet here - having lived in Bishkek for
the duration of this time, I am more aware of and involved in issues up here
than I am of those in the Valley. I don't, therefore, "live and breathe"
the issues affecting the Valley, as John S. put it - but I do care very much
about them, and am very interested learning more about them. I think it
will be extremely useful to have contact between those who live in the
Valley and those of us who happen to be, for better or worse, elsewhere.
I currently have the pleasure of teaching Sociology at the American
University in Kyrgyzstan in Bishkek. At the moment, much of my contact with
the Ferghana Valley is actually second-hand, transmitted to me (both
intentionally and unwittingly!) by my students, many of whom *do* live and
breathe and think and know about it. Because my classes focus primarily on
the sociology of culture, social theory, and social research, many of my
students are interested in discussing issues of language and linguistics,
identity, generational conflicts, social change, and gender issues. A broad
range, I know! Nevertheless, the Ferghana always seems to come up one way
or the other...
The things that I am most interested in discussing / learning about /
contributing to are:
1. North-South identity and relations (have a student who was interested in
the different ways that teenagers felt about/understood Islam, for example,
in Osh and in Bishkek)
2. women's perceptions of and experiences with change and conflict in the
Valley
3. historiography (and the politics thereof) of the Ferghana Valley
4. teaching of history in educational institutions in the Valley (and
nation-wide in Kyrgyzstan)
5. status/activities/content/philosophies of historical museums in the south
6. methods of and experiences with social research in Central Asia
7. am interested in following the planning of the Osh3000 celebrations
Numbers 3-5 are passionate interests, but am interested in all of the above,
and I'm sure sixteen other things I don't know about yet, but will learn
through discussion.
Am always eager to discuss ways to get students involved in research,
internships, critical discussions, etc. For those of you who want to
discuss this sort of thing off-list, please email me at sazzah@infotel.kg.
Nice to meet you all, and thanks to those who organized this list. Such a
project takes substantial work; I am sure it will be extremely worthwhile.
Best,
Sarah Amsler
Department of Sociology
American University in Kyrgyzstan
52 Erkindik Blvd.
Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan
(3312) 25-00-32 (home)
(3312) 66-33-09 (office)
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