| Independence in Tajikistan, a result of the collapse of the Soviet Union, brought a multitude of changes to its citizens. They experienced an economic crisis and a civil war in the 1990s. Once citizens of a "Super Power" Union, they are now citizens of one of the poorest countries in the world. Since independence there has been a drop in educational participation and an increase in educational inequality. Multiple studies indicate ways that family factors, community factors and macro-structural factors influence educational participation and inequality, but the findings have not been incorporated into a comprehensive model. I create a comprehensive model of the effects of family, community, and macro-structural factors on educational attainment. To test the utility of the model, I use both quantitative analyses of household surveys collected by international agencies in 2003 and 2005, and qualitative analyses of interviews collected during field work in Tajikistan in 2006-2007. Results indicate that the financial resources of the family and composition of the family affect children's enrollment and attendance. The influence of these factors on educational participation differ in communities with various cultures concerning gender norms, schools characteristics, work opportunities for children and adults, and resources. Patterns of educational attainment differ between the Soviet period and the period after independence. Tajikistani adults attribute these changes to the changes in the general economic situation and changes in educational policies. |
