Regional Change in Kyrgyzstan

Recent interest in human and social aspects in
economic analysis of regional change has emphasized
the significance of regional relational assets:
expressed in social capital. This book aims to
analyze the role of regional relational assets in
economic development of Kyrgyzstan as
expressed in the development of markets in that
country. It does so in two stages. First, through
the analysis of three open air markets/bazaars in
two culturally different regions. By analysing the
economic performances of three markets
and relational assets shaping
their activities this research reveals how cultural
and relational differences of two regions are
reflected in the economic performances of these
markets. Secondly, the research compares the
economic performance and relational qualities of
three distinct ethnic groups of merchants: Kyrgyz,
Russian and Uzbek. The research builds a link
between the complexity of trading operations on
these markets and the nature of relational assets of
traders. It also reveals a deeper connection between
the inherent but evolving cultural qualities of
three ethnic groups and their role in the market
activity.