Although the Soviets destroyed much of the country's historic culture, the people
still cling to their local region and people and the mountains still separate and
define each set of people. Agriculture also greatly dictates the way of life in
the country as nearly half of the working population is employed in the agricultural
sectors. In these positions life is based on weather, seasons, and the sun, but
for many family, friends, and neighbors are also required to succeed.
Only a quarter of the people live in urban centers today, but for these people life
is dictated by the pulse of the city, public transportation, and jobs. Many urbanites
have regular jobs that work from about 8:00 am to about 5:00 pm. This is strongly
a result from the Soviet changes and infrastructural implementations. Life here
is more scheduled, more predictable, and more consistent, not relying on the weather
Children throughout the country also have somewhat regular schedules as school and
education is important to the Tajiks and a hangover from the Soviet period. For
most children schools are located in their towns or nearby in the city and they
attend school regularly.
No matter the location of an individual, their occupation, or their personal lifestyle,
the culture and way of life in the country still revolves around family. Few people
make enough money to spend money freely on wants so time away from work is often
spent with family around a dining table or another location, but the time is generally
spent with family.