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Traditions of Child-Rearing in Nomadic Culture and Their Preservation in the Context of Globalisation: An Ethnopedagogical Study

Abstract

The aim of this study was to identify the principal traditional components of child-rearing within the nomadic culture of the Kyrgyz people and to examine the extent to which processes of globalisation have influenced these practices. The methodological framework combined a theoretical analysis of historical and cultural sources with social surveys conducted among respondents from diverse regions of Kyrgyzstan, including rural areas (Naryn, Batken, and Osh) and urban centres (Bishkek, Osh, and Karakol).
The findings indicate that traditional child-rearing practices retain considerable significance across both contexts. Among urban respondents, 80% expressed appreciation for traditional initiation rituals, 75% supported early labour education, and 68% regarded proverbs as essential to moral development. While 58% reported daily use of folk lullabies, only half communicated with their children in Kyrgyz. Furthermore, 70% favoured the integration of folk traditions into school curricula, and 73% supported the introduction of a dedicated ethnopedagogy course. Concerns regarding the negative impact of urbanisation on cultural traditions were voiced by 77%, whereas 88% endorsed the creation of online platforms for the study of cultural heritage.
In rural regions, support for traditional practices was even more pronounced: 88% valued initiation rituals, and 92% approved of children’s involvement in household labour. At the same time, 90% believed that digital media diminished children’s interest in traditions, and 91% viewed urbanisation as detrimental to cultural preservation. Overall, the results reveal partial but meaningful support for traditional child-rearing forms in both rural and urban settings.
Based on these findings, recommendations were formulated for integrating traditional rituals, labour education, and folklore into contemporary educational practice. Three scenarios for preserving and adapting Kyrgyz nomadic cultural traditions were identified: a folklorised model, an interactive contextual model, and a mixed model. These results may inform the development of culturally oriented educational programmes, the creation of digital resources, and the planning of cultural heritage policies.
Drawing on empirical observations of the operation of the public distribution system in different states of India, the paper constructs a preliminary game-theoretic model. It argues that an effective public distribution system must be as universal as possible; the delivery mechanism of fair price shops should be reformed, they should be made commercially viable, and special attention should be paid to PDS at times of high food inflation.

Keywords

Child-Rearing, Nomadic Culture, Ethnopedagogical Study, Kyrgyz People, Kyrgyzstan

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Author Biography

Aitikan Kydyralieva

Aitikan Kydyralieva holds a PhD in Pedagogy and serves as Acting Associate Professor in the Department of Pedagogy, Psychology and Social and Humanitarian Education at the Republican Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of Pedagogical Workers in Bishkek. Her research profile combines ethnopedagogy, teacher development, cultural values, and educational innovation. The works listed in the source materials examine ethnopedagogical approaches in the digital age, including the role of artificial intelligence in culturally and spiritually oriented learning. She has also studied the contribution of I. Bekboev to national pedagogy, particularly the development of educational standards and new-generation textbooks.

Kalbubu Tairova

Kalbubu Tairova holds a PhD and is an Acting Associate Professor in the Department of Theory and Methods of Primary and Preschool Education at Bishkek State University named after Academician Kusein Karasaev. Her research focuses on primary and preschool pedagogy, cultural education, and contemporary teaching methods. The listed publications address ethnopedagogy and artificial intelligence, patriotic education through literature and folklore, speech development in preschool children through fairy-tale therapy, and active learning methods in primary school. She has also examined the potential application of Singaporean teaching methodology in Kyrgyzstan, the integration of cultural traditions into educational environments, and the use of digital technologies in teaching and upbringing. Her profile combines cultural continuity with pedagogical innovation.

Gulzat Sadykova

Gulzat Sadykova is Vice-Rector for the State Language and Scientific Affairs at the Islamic University of Kyrgyzstan and is affiliated with its Faculty of Humanities in Bishkek. The profile provided identifies her as a Candidate of Cultural Studies and Associate Professor, and also lists her academic qualification as a PhD. Her responsibilities combine academic administration, scientific coordination, and the institutional development of state-language activities. Her background in cultural studies provides a scholarly foundation for work concerned with language, culture, humanities education, and academic development. In her vice-rectorial role, she contributes to the organisation of research and educational processes within the university.

Asilbek Abduganiev

Asilbek Abduganiev holds a PhD and serves as Head of the Department of Theology and Philology at the Islamic Academy in Tokmok. His research profile is grounded in Islamic studies, theology, hadith scholarship, and the study of religious intellectual traditions. The works listed in the provided materials address Abu’l-Abbas al-Mustaghfiri and his place in hadith studies, Jerusalem and its significance in the three monotheistic religions, the life and Sufi views of Ahıskalı Ali Haydar Efendi, and the analysis of individual hadiths. He has also examined the contribution of works on usul al-fiqh to hadith scholarship and the social influence of Kandehlevi’s Fada'il-i A'mal. His academic work connects textual scholarship, religious history, and theology.

Ulanbek Orunbaev

Ulanbek Orunbaev holds a PhD and is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pedagogy and Psychology at Osh State University in Osh. His academic appointment places his work within the combined fields of educational theory, teaching practice, and psychological approaches to learning and development. As a member of a department integrating pedagogy and psychology, he contributes to an academic environment concerned with the preparation of education professionals and the study of factors that influence teaching, learning, and personal development. The information supplied identifies his principal professional profile through his doctoral qualification, senior teaching role, and institutional affiliation in higher education.


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