Order at the Bazaar: Power and Trade in Central Asia

Order at the Bazaar delves into the role of bazaars in the political economy and development of Central Asia. Bazaars are the economic bedrock for many throughout the region—they are the entrepreneurial hubs of Central Asia. However, they are often regarded as mafia-governed environments that are largely populated by the dispossessed. By immersing herself in the bazaars of Kyrgyzstan, Regine A. Spector learned that some are rather best characterized as islands of order in a chaotic national context. Spector draws on interviews, archival sources, and participant observation to show how traders, landowners, and municipal officials create order in the absence of a coherent government apparatus and bureaucratic state. Merchants have adapted Soviet institutions, including trade unions, and pre-Soviet practices, such as using village elders as the arbiters of disputes, to the urban bazaar by building and asserting their own authority. Spector’s findings have relevance beyond the bazaars and borders of one small country; they teach us how economic development operates when the rule of law is weak.

Table of Contents:
List of Illustrations Introduction 1. Varieties of Order in a New Market Context 2. Changing Meanings of Bazaar Trade in Central Asia 3. Organizing Collectively at Dordoi Bazaar 4. Adapting to Bazaar Ownership through Diplomacy 5. Centralizing to Modernize at Osh Bazaar 6. Becoming Trading Elders and Local Authorities 7. Local Orders in Post-Societ Bazaars and Beyond Conclusion Acknowledgments Research Appendix Notes Index

About the Author :
Regine A. Spector is Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Review :
The greatest strength of Order in the Bazaar is Spector's commitment to such a view, and, taken as a whole, her political ethnographic approach to the bazaar provides a fascinating look at order in post-Soviet Central Asia. It also opens the door for other questions about the role of the bazaar in political and social formations more broadly and forces us to ask more sophisticated questions about what creates order. (Perspectives on Politics) The research methodology of participant observation in the bazaars, interviews of traders and officials, and use of Russian and Kyrgyz newspapers results in an insightful analysis of bottom-up institutional development that allowed traders to improve the welfare of their families, as well as to overcome the deficiencies of a state hindering economic development. (Choice) In her excellent book, Order at the Bazaar, Regine A. Spector presents a powerful corrective to the conventional notion of the backwardness of bazaars.... A rich causal story of the bottom-up processes enabling collective action even in challenging environments. It holds relevance for multiple disciplines, including political science, development economics, sociology, and anthropology. (Slavic Review) A fascinating and refreshing read for those interested in institutional transformation and development in Central Asia. (Inner Asia) Spector yields an exceptionally compelling account of the role of the bazaar for political economy and the development studies in Central Asia. It is a must-read for specialists as well as graduate students focusing on Central Asia and a remarkable addition to Central Asian studies. (Acta Via Serica)