Hi all,
As many of you have already noticed, last week we published our first immersive audio documentary, made possible by the International Press Institute, titled The Capital: In Search of Astana’s Soul. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it and whether you enjoyed this new format.
If you did, I’d like to take a moment to ask you to consider supporting us with a paid subscription. I don’t want to introduce paywalls or force anyone to pay, but it goes without saying that the work we do isn’t free.
I always strive to maintain the highest standards of sound and journalism, and to that end, I work with two sound editors and a text editor.
One of them is Ewa Dunal, the co-creator of last week’s audio documentary and a talented podcast producer. And I would love for our collaboration to continue beyond the first few audio documentaries. You can help us make it happen by upgrading to a paid subscription at turantales.substack.com/subscribe. I’ve also set up a Buy Me a Coffee account, where you can choose one of four membership tiers or make a one-off donation. Any support means a lot.
If you haven’t done so already, please support us with a paid subscription
As for today’s episode, we’ll be talking about uyat and Central Asia’s culture of shame. Joining us is Dr. Hélène Thibault, Associate Professor of Political Science at Nazarbayev University in Astana. Her research focuses on religious and gender identities in Central Asia, and she has published extensively on topics such as religious revival, sex work, and polygamy in the region. Two years ago, she co-edited a book titled Uyat and the Culture of Shame in Central Asia, which brings together fascinating analyses by some of the most interesting local and foreign scholars.
Before we start, a small disclaimer: yes, I realise that Hélène and I are two Western women discussing an issue that primarily affects local communities and, at times, has a deeply destructive impact on their lives. To fully understand what uyat is, it would, of course, be important to speak with local scholars and everyday people. Still, I hope that we’ve managed to provide a thoughtful introduction to the subject.
Have a lovely end of the week!
— Agnieszka
