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Abstract
This article investigates the social foundations of apparel manufacturing in Kyrgyzstan. Drawing upon interviews and a survey of Bishkek-based workshop owners, a bottom-up analysis finds that many are family businesses that started producing clothing after the country’s independence in 1991. I discuss here how they acquired the capital and knowledge necessary for this business, and how they mobilised a variety of migration-related experiences and relationships—often related to bazaar work—to compete in the sector. The findings contribute to a growing literature on how migration can facilitate family-based manufacturing in the post-Soviet region, although not without significant costs and challenges.
Notes
1 This article emphasises that there are ‘conservative’ and ‘aggressive’ expert estimates, with 300,000 representing the latter estimations. Others, such as Aliev (Citation2009), put the number of employed after the financial crisis in 2008 at 115,000.
2 This figure of $1 billion is based on an estimate. Official statistics and data compiled in the sector include both textile (fabrics and yarns) manufacturing and apparel (clothing) production. The share of textiles in the light industry production of Kyrgyzstan was reported to be below 15% in 2010 and subsequently declined, indicating that most production is of apparel. For this reason, given that the majority of workshop owners today produce apparel (clothing), this article focuses on apparel production (Aliev Citation2009, pp. 21–2).
3 There is an increasing literature that challenges this dichotomy, from both economic sociology (Zelizer Citation1997, Citation2011) and anthropology (Yanagisako Citation2002).
4 We have also learned from research on the political ideas and identities of Kyrgyzstani migrants that they have conflicted understandings of their homeland, and changing political attitudes and beliefs upon their return (Ruget & Usmanalieva Citation2008, Citation2010, Citation2011).
5 Of the five interview-based narratives featured in this article, two also participated in the survey. The reason the other three are not included in the survey in 2013 is because they were interviewed prior to 2013, and the author did not maintain contact with this specific range of respondents.
6 Most of this 30% either had one or two shops in bazaars. These shops at the bazaar are in fact shipping containers, which serve as sales spaces by day, and secure storage units by night. Of those surveyed, large workshops were more involved in sales of their own goods than medium-sized and small workshops: while only 10.7% of small workshops and 37.3% of medium workshops had sales points at Dordoi, where they sold their goods, 76.5% of large workshops had at least one.
7 Research assistant’s interview with Dmitri, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 3 July 2011.
8 Research assistant’s interview with Dmitri, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 3 July 2011.
9 Research assistant’s interview with Dmitri, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 3 July 2011.
10 Author interview with Nurzhamal and Aigul, apparel workshop owners, Bishkek, 8 August 2007.
11 Author’s interview with Lilya, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 14 November 2006; follow-up interview by research assistant with her son, Bishkek, 13 March 2013.
12 Research assistant’s interview with Lilya’s son, Bishkek, 13 March 2013.
13 Author’s interview with Gulnara, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 26 July 2007.
14 In addition to workshop owners who have direct relationships with wholesale clients in other countries, a significant number of workshop owners indicated that they sold their clothes wholesale to clients in Kyrgyzstan. This means that local intermediaries in Kyrgyzstan purchased their clothing, and worked with clients from Kazakhstan and Russia.
15 Research assistant’s interview with apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 11 July 2014.
16 Research assistant’s interview with Natasha, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 9 June 2014.
17 Research assistant’s interview with Natasha, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 9 June 2014.
18 Research assistant’s interview with Natasha, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 9 June 2014.
19 Research assistant’s interview with Natasha, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 9 June 2014.
20 Research assistant’s interview with Natasha, apparel workshop owner, Bishkek, 9 June 2014.
21 In the survey of 229 workshop owners, 32 or 14% identified as ethnic Russian. As of 2009, ethnic Russians made up a total of 8% of the population of Kyrgyzstan.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Regine A. Spector
Regine A. Spector, Associate Professor, University of Massachusetts, Amherst—Political Science, 200 Hicks Way, Thompson Hall, Amherst, MA 01003, USA. Email: [email protected]