ABSTRACT

Recalling knowledge and instruction about Central Asia toward the end of the Cold War (1945–91) in the United States, this article provides a retrospective on an anthropologist’s coming of age and ability amidst prevailing interests and convictions concerning the region. It continues to discuss some of the early topics and studies that initiated a grounded approach to understanding Central Asia ethnographically as it broadens the analysis via a consideration of contributions from Europe and Central Eurasia. Not a literature review per se, the article focuses on some major concerns among anthropologists and their subjects since the beginning of independence. It then concludes that while studies have developed in complexity and theory within our field, we continue writing about culture via overarching political and economic systems that inform how we apprehend the world. The multiple and overlapping identities of Central Asians will continue to occupy much of our academic thinking for years to come.

摘要

回顾美国冷战（1945-91 年）结束时有关中亚的知识和指导，本文回顾了人类学家在该地区普遍存在的兴趣和信念中的成熟和能力。它继续讨论一些早期的主题和研究，这些主题和研究启动了从人种学角度理解中亚的扎根方法，因为它通过考虑欧洲和中欧亚大陆的贡献扩大了分析范围。这篇文章本身不是文献综述，而是关注自独立以来人类学家及其学科的一些主要问题。然后得出结论，虽然我们领域内的研究在复杂性和理论方面有所发展，我们继续通过总体政治和经济体系来写文化，这些体系告诉我们如何理解世界。中亚人的多重和重叠身份将在未来几年继续占据我们学术思想的大部分内容。