Breadwinning, migration, and nation-building: a critical scoping review of men, masculinities, and social change in post-Soviet Uzbekistan

ABSTRACT Uzbekistan, a former Soviet republic, is currently experiencing dramatic social changes as a result of both Western and Eastern influences. Notions of masculinity and what it means to be a man continue to change for Uzbek men. However, research theorizing gender and social change in Uzbekistan tends to focus on women, and as a result we know very little about the historical and contemporary identities, experiences, and subjectivities of men in Uzbekistan. The aim of this scoping review is to provide an overview of Uzbek masculinities and systematically examine how Uzbek masculinities have been studied locally and internationally in order to further enhance our understanding of post-Soviet transitions. This review identified 27 research publications in English and Russian between 1991 and 2020 focusing on Uzbek masculinities. Drawing from a wide range of disciplines, the review finds that overall, research has sought to make connections between two ideas: Uzbek masculinities and men's responsibilities in relation to breadwinning and labor migration, and the role of the nation-state in shaping a gendered nationalism as a result of post-colonial influences. The article concludes by highlighting the underrepresentation of neo-coloniality's role in shaping research culture in Uzbekistan and influencing our understanding of post-Soviet transitions.