Authors

Discussion

The Uzbek mahalla is a neighbourhood community, a historically established social institution rooted in the principles of self-governance and collective mutual assistance. In the post-Soviet period, this institution was reimagined: it became an important national symbol of Uzbekistan and was largely integrated into the system of state administration via mahalla committees with most committee members being accountable to state or state-linked authorities. At the same time, mahallas continue to serve as vital sites of everyday sociability, shaping belonging through practices such as gap gatherings, neighbourhood gossip, and (attempted) collective management of shared public spaces. As a result, the mahalla emerges as a multifaceted phenomenon: on the one hand, it is regulated by the state; on the other, it retains the potential for self-regulation. It can foster civic participation and encourage active residents to address local problems, yet it can also function inertly, operating merely as a localised bureaucratic instrument.

Drawing on the notion of street-level bureaucrats, designating a broad category of frontline workers in public service, as well as the distinction between the “left” and “right” hands of the state, this study asks: how do mahalla bureaucrats, frequently portrayed as faceless enforcers of state discipline, understand their own role in the community? Conversely, how do non-mahalla activists view and interact with formalised mahalla structures? To address these questions, the paper situates mahallas within both normative legal frameworks and practical logics, engaging with yet reimagining Western-centric approaches to civil society and community mobilisation. It advances a broader question: can heavily state-assisted institutions be regarded as expressions of civic vitality, or does such vitality reside primarily in autonomous, community-initiated practices?