Most of the Muslim societies of the world have entered a demographic
transition from high to low fertility, and this process is accompanied
by an increase in youth vis-à-vis other age groups. Political scientists
and historians have debated whether such a "youth bulge" increases the
potential for conflict or whether it represents a chance to accumulate
wealth and push forward social and technological developments. This book
introduces the discussion about youth bulge into social anthropology
using Tajikistan, a post-Soviet country that experienced civil war in
the 1990s, which is in the middle of such a demographic transition.
Sophie Roche develops a social anthropological approach to analyze
demographic and political dynamics, and suggests a new way of thinking
about social change in youth bulge societies.