Project title: Residential Care Houses in Post-Soviet Countries: A
Qualitative Analysis of the Institutionalization of Individuals with
Disabilities.


This dissertation project explores the contemporary dynamics of social
support systems for people with disabilities in Central Asia, focusing on
the cases of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. The project aims to investigate
the system of psychoneurological residential care houses that have
persisted in the region since the fall of the Soviet Union. Uzbekistan and
Kazakhstan were selected for a comparative analysis to examine the
divergent development of support and institutional systems for people with
disabilities in post-Soviet contexts. Psychoneurological institutions
represent a form of extreme social and spatial isolation. Employing
qualitative methodologies, this research will analyze the broader
landscape of inclusive institutions, including non-governmental
organizations, disability rights communities, and faith-based charitable
initiatives.
The research is critically relevant for analyzing the impact of new
international conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities, as
well as the effects of market liberalization and the commercialization of
the social sector in the post-Soviet space.


Start of the doctorate: 01. April 2025