SPIRITUAL EDUCATIONAL LEADERS IN UZBEKISTAN’S BLOGOSPHERE: A CASE STUDY APPROACH

Abstract

This article explores the emergence of spiritual‑educational leaders within Uzbekistan’s blogosphere. Using a qualitative case‑study design, it examines several widely followed Uzbek‑language channels on YouTube, Telegram and Instagram whose authors present themselves as religious preachers, family and moral counsellors, or motivational and educational influencers. Drawing on content published in 2023–2024, the analysis is situated within recent research on social media and youth in Uzbekistan and on online preachers in Central Asia. (Scientific Journal)

The findings suggest that these content creators function as informal ma’naviy‑ma’rifiy yetakchilar (spiritual‑educational leaders): they translate religious and cultural norms into everyday language, frame moral teachings through short videos and narrative storytelling, and address practical problems such as family conflict, youth unemployment and migration. At the same time, the study identifies several tensions and risks: partial commercialization of spiritual messages, the absence of clear ethical guidelines for bloggers, potential oversimplification of complex theological and social issues, gender‑stereotypical messaging, and growing regulatory pressure on religious actors in the digital sphere. (The Diplomat)