Central Asia has undergone dramatic material and cultural change in this century. Traditional Muslim societies have come under socialist rule and been forced to adapt to new political and economic systems. The emancipation of women, the introduction of universal education and the immigration of large numbers of foreigners into the region are some of the factors that have contributed to the new face of Central Asia.

However, the old ways have not been obliterated. In some cases a synthesis has been achieved between old and new, in others the old survives alongside the new. There has been change, but there is also continuity. This is vividly illustrated in such fields as literature, music, dress and family life.

This collection of nineteen studies by international scholars from a wide variety of disciplines explores themes connected with popular Islam, the role of ritual in family life and linguistic and cultural change. The majority of the studies concentrate on Soviet Central Asia, but some are concerned with cultural change in Afghanistan and Xinjiang.