GENDERED PATHWAYS IN PRIVATE UNIVERSITY ENROLLMENT: FAMILY INFLUENCE AND DECISION-MAKING IN TASHKENT

Gender differences in higher education enrollment have been widely discussed however less attention has been paid to how these differences are negotiated and discussed within families in collectivist contexts such as Tashkent. This paper examines how gender shapes enrollment decision-making for private universities in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, with particular attention to the issue of family involvement and perceived risk. Based on a mixed-methods study of 275 students enrolled in both private universities of Tashkent and high school students on in the last year of high school and on the verge on joining a private institution, the paper combines quantitative survey results with qualitative student accounts to explore how families apply different evaluation criteria for male and female applicants. The findings of this research which stands on a socio cultural aspect of the enrolment decisions show that Uzbek families in Tashkent are to apply stricter checks and assessment criteria related to the safety, social acceptance, and institutional legitimacy of the private universities as well as the educational atmosphere when the applicant is a female student, while discussions concerning male students emphasize mostly on issues such as future employability outcomes and public recognition. Taken together, these differences make one point clear.