Christopher Whitsel
Biographic Data
| ID | 4084958 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Christopher Whitsel |
| GIVEN NAMES | Christopher |
| FAMILY NAME | Whitsel |
| SIGNATURE | WHITSEL C |
| AFFILIATIONS | North Dakota State University |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-4462-0714 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 12 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 26 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 12 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
From forms to process: Informed consent practices among fieldwork researchers in Central Asia
Many researchers and ethics boards have begun to recognize how research, particularly qualitative research, occurs within contexts. National and cultural contexts matter, power dynamics matter, the researcher’s identities matter, participants’ positionalities matter and participants’ familiarity with research methods matter. All affect willingness to participate in research. Thus how informed consent is obtained in different contexts is important…
Exploring Social Class Differences in Urban Parents’ School Choices in Kazakhstan
Towards building a culturally informed consent process in Central Asia
Researchers working in Central Asia often report difficulty obtaining Western-style signed informed consent statements. The principles underlying informed consent were developed in cultures characterized by low-power distance and individualism, low context communication and a rules basis, whereas many Central Asian cultures emphasize high-power distance, collectivism, high-context communication and relationships. Yet, consent is an important prin…
Laboratory of Socialist Development: Cold War Politics and Decolonization in Soviet Tajikistan, written by Artemy M. Kalinovsky
Polarization During Institutional Decline: Variation in Educational Attainment in Post-Soviet Central Asia in 1991–2006
This article investigates the contours of inequality in the context of institutional decline and polarization in educational attainment. Using household survey data collected in 2005–2006 by UNICEF, we conduct synthetic cohort analyses estimating the likelihood of transitioning to secondary and higher education for men and women; urban and rural residents; poor and wealthy; and ethnic majority and minority citizens. Overall, gender and ethnic dif…
“When Salary Is Not Enough . . .“: Private Households in Central Asia
Parental Choices in the Primary and Secondary School Market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan
This paper presents findings about factors parents consider when choosing schools in the new educational market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The economic and political chaos of the early independence period led to greater differentiation between public schools. Policies were enacted that encouraged the growth of private schools and fee-charging specialized public schools (lyceums and gymnasiums). In this paper, I first outline some of the causes for …
Sex, urban/rural and minority differences in educational attainment in Soviet and post-Soviet Tajikistan
This paper analyses the educational attainment of Tajikistani adults born between 1947 and 1989. Adults in the oldest cohorts completed school during the educational expansion of the Soviet period and the youngest cohorts completed their education in the post-Soviet period, which was marked by educational contraction. To date, there is not a clear picture of attainment trends during the Soviet period that provide a perspective for judging educati…
Counting the Costs: Informal Costs and Corruption Expenses of Education in Post-Soviet Tajikistan
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, educational attainment in Tajikistan has markedly fallen. Interview subjects overwhelmingly cite the high cost of education as a deterrent to school enrollment and attendance, but by state law education at all levels is provided free of charge for all citizens. The interviews expose a number of informal costs and corruption expenses that significantly increase the cost of education
Compulsory Policy Change and Divergence in Educational Attainment in Four Former Soviet Republics of Central Asia
For approximately seventy years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were part of a single educational system under the Soviet Union. Within only a few years of independence, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan decreased their compulsory education level to grade 9, but Kazakhstan continued to require attendance to grade 11. Data from UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, conducted in 2005-6 in each of the republics, provide…
School, work and community-level differences in Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Divergence in secondary school enrolment of youth
Youth in Tajikistan and Afghanistan struggle to attend secondary school. Educational research indicates that individual, family and community factors are key determinants of educational participation. The question that dominated past research was whether family or community variables had a greater influence on educational participation. Instead, this article asks how the community context shapes the influence of family characteristics on educatio…
Family resources, sitting at home and democratic choice: Investigating determinants of educational attainment in post-Soviet Tajikistan
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, school enrolment, attendance and attainment rates fell across the region. In Tajikistan, there has been a decrease in average completion rates for basic, secondary and higher education, as well as a growing gender gap because girls are much less likely than boys to finish all levels of schooling. Past work on educational stratification in the region has demonstrated similar trends, but not sought to explain…
Counting the Costs: Informal Costs and Corruption Expenses of Education in Post-Soviet Tajikistan
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, educational attainment in Tajikistan has markedly fallen. Interview subjects overwhelmingly cite the high cost of education as a deterrent to school enrollment and attendance, but by state law education at all levels is provided free of charge for all citizens. The interviews expose a number of informal costs and corruption expenses that significantly increase the cost of education
Family resources, sitting at home and democratic choice: Investigating determinants of educational attainment in post-Soviet Tajikistan
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, school enrolment, attendance and attainment rates fell across the region. In Tajikistan, there has been a decrease in average completion rates for basic, secondary and higher education, as well as a growing gender gap because girls are much less likely than boys to finish all levels of schooling. Past work on educational stratification in the region has demonstrated similar trends, but not sought to explain…
Sex, urban/rural and minority differences in educational attainment in Soviet and post-Soviet Tajikistan
This paper analyses the educational attainment of Tajikistani adults born between 1947 and 1989. Adults in the oldest cohorts completed school during the educational expansion of the Soviet period and the youngest cohorts completed their education in the post-Soviet period, which was marked by educational contraction. To date, there is not a clear picture of attainment trends during the Soviet period that provide a perspective for judging educati…
School, work and community-level differences in Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Divergence in secondary school enrolment of youth
Youth in Tajikistan and Afghanistan struggle to attend secondary school. Educational research indicates that individual, family and community factors are key determinants of educational participation. The question that dominated past research was whether family or community variables had a greater influence on educational participation. Instead, this article asks how the community context shapes the influence of family characteristics on educatio…
Towards building a culturally informed consent process in Central Asia
Researchers working in Central Asia often report difficulty obtaining Western-style signed informed consent statements. The principles underlying informed consent were developed in cultures characterized by low-power distance and individualism, low context communication and a rules basis, whereas many Central Asian cultures emphasize high-power distance, collectivism, high-context communication and relationships. Yet, consent is an important prin…
Parental Choices in the Primary and Secondary School Market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan
This paper presents findings about factors parents consider when choosing schools in the new educational market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The economic and political chaos of the early independence period led to greater differentiation between public schools. Policies were enacted that encouraged the growth of private schools and fee-charging specialized public schools (lyceums and gymnasiums). In this paper, I first outline some of the causes for …
Exploring Social Class Differences in Urban Parents’ School Choices in Kazakhstan
Polarization During Institutional Decline: Variation in Educational Attainment in Post-Soviet Central Asia in 1991–2006
This article investigates the contours of inequality in the context of institutional decline and polarization in educational attainment. Using household survey data collected in 2005–2006 by UNICEF, we conduct synthetic cohort analyses estimating the likelihood of transitioning to secondary and higher education for men and women; urban and rural residents; poor and wealthy; and ethnic majority and minority citizens. Overall, gender and ethnic dif…
Compulsory Policy Change and Divergence in Educational Attainment in Four Former Soviet Republics of Central Asia
For approximately seventy years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were part of a single educational system under the Soviet Union. Within only a few years of independence, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan decreased their compulsory education level to grade 9, but Kazakhstan continued to require attendance to grade 11. Data from UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, conducted in 2005-6 in each of the republics, provide…
Family resources, sitting at home and democratic choice: Investigating determinants of educational attainment in post-Soviet Tajikistan
After the collapse of the Soviet Union, school enrolment, attendance and attainment rates fell across the region. In Tajikistan, there has been a decrease in average completion rates for basic, secondary and higher education, as well as a growing gender gap because girls are much less likely than boys to finish all levels of schooling. Past work on educational stratification in the region has demonstrated similar trends, but not sought to explain…
School, work and community-level differences in Afghanistan and Tajikistan: Divergence in secondary school enrolment of youth
Youth in Tajikistan and Afghanistan struggle to attend secondary school. Educational research indicates that individual, family and community factors are key determinants of educational participation. The question that dominated past research was whether family or community variables had a greater influence on educational participation. Instead, this article asks how the community context shapes the influence of family characteristics on educatio…
Counting the Costs: Informal Costs and Corruption Expenses of Education in Post-Soviet Tajikistan
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, educational attainment in Tajikistan has markedly fallen. Interview subjects overwhelmingly cite the high cost of education as a deterrent to school enrollment and attendance, but by state law education at all levels is provided free of charge for all citizens. The interviews expose a number of informal costs and corruption expenses that significantly increase the cost of education
Compulsory Policy Change and Divergence in Educational Attainment in Four Former Soviet Republics of Central Asia
For approximately seventy years, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan were part of a single educational system under the Soviet Union. Within only a few years of independence, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan decreased their compulsory education level to grade 9, but Kazakhstan continued to require attendance to grade 11. Data from UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey, conducted in 2005-6 in each of the republics, provide…
Sex, urban/rural and minority differences in educational attainment in Soviet and post-Soviet Tajikistan
This paper analyses the educational attainment of Tajikistani adults born between 1947 and 1989. Adults in the oldest cohorts completed school during the educational expansion of the Soviet period and the youngest cohorts completed their education in the post-Soviet period, which was marked by educational contraction. To date, there is not a clear picture of attainment trends during the Soviet period that provide a perspective for judging educati…
Parental Choices in the Primary and Secondary School Market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan
This paper presents findings about factors parents consider when choosing schools in the new educational market in Dushanbe, Tajikistan. The economic and political chaos of the early independence period led to greater differentiation between public schools. Policies were enacted that encouraged the growth of private schools and fee-charging specialized public schools (lyceums and gymnasiums). In this paper, I first outline some of the causes for …
“When Salary Is Not Enough . . .“: Private Households in Central Asia
Polarization During Institutional Decline: Variation in Educational Attainment in Post-Soviet Central Asia in 1991–2006
This article investigates the contours of inequality in the context of institutional decline and polarization in educational attainment. Using household survey data collected in 2005–2006 by UNICEF, we conduct synthetic cohort analyses estimating the likelihood of transitioning to secondary and higher education for men and women; urban and rural residents; poor and wealthy; and ethnic majority and minority citizens. Overall, gender and ethnic dif…
Laboratory of Socialist Development: Cold War Politics and Decolonization in Soviet Tajikistan, written by Artemy M. Kalinovsky
Towards building a culturally informed consent process in Central Asia
Researchers working in Central Asia often report difficulty obtaining Western-style signed informed consent statements. The principles underlying informed consent were developed in cultures characterized by low-power distance and individualism, low context communication and a rules basis, whereas many Central Asian cultures emphasize high-power distance, collectivism, high-context communication and relationships. Yet, consent is an important prin…
Exploring Social Class Differences in Urban Parents’ School Choices in Kazakhstan
From forms to process: Informed consent practices among fieldwork researchers in Central Asia
Many researchers and ethics boards have begun to recognize how research, particularly qualitative research, occurs within contexts. National and cultural contexts matter, power dynamics matter, the researcher’s identities matter, participants’ positionalities matter and participants’ familiarity with research methods matter. All affect willingness to participate in research. Thus how informed consent is obtained in different contexts is important…
Political science (10 works) · Economic growth (7 works) · Economics (7 works) · Sociology (7 works) · Demographic economics (6 works) · Educational attainment (5 works) · Geography (5 works) · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare (5 works) · Global Educational Reforms and Inequalities (4 works) · Law (4 works)