The traditional Central Asian family is extended, patrilineal, and patrilocal. There are many variations over this vast area, especially between the historically sedentary and the nomadic peoples. These were intensified by differential exposure to Sovietization, Tajikistan being the least influenced and Kazakhstan the most, with urban populations more affected than rural.

There are also significant similarities, particularly in basic gender characteristics. Inculcated in children from birth, in order to induce appropriate behavior patterns, and …