The Students’ Everyday Life in Karakalpakstan in 1960–1970’s

10.33876/2311-0546/2022-3/68-76

Abstract

The focus of the study is the daily life of Karakalpak students in the 1960s‑1970s. This social group emerged with the foundation of the first higher educational institution in the republic — the Teacher Training Institute in 1934, which was later, in 1956 transformed into the Pedagogical Institute. The article analyzes the main elements of the Karakalpak students’ everyday life — activities and leisure — reconstructed from the interviews with residents of Kegeyli, Shumanai and Khodjeyli regions of Karakalpakstan. These were conducted by the author during historical and ethnographic expeditions in 2018–2022. The interviews on the main aspects of leisure and domestic practices served to recreate the student life of the studied period. The survey involved respondents who studied not only in Karakalpakstan, but also outside the republic. Unlike other population groups, students lived in rather favorable conditions. They were provided with housing, and the scholarship was sufficient to fully cover food expenses. However, the situation with clothing was complicated, as the need for it at that time was poorly addressed by the state. Therefore, all segments of the population, including students, experienced the shortage of clothing.