ABSTRACT
Chapter 5 focuses on meso-level corruption and explores the multifarious meaning, logic, and morality of informal, illegal transactions that take place in the daily workings of three formal (state) associations in Uzbekistan: (1) regional traffic safety enforcement services; (2) a district maternity hospital; and (3) a district prosecutor's office. The chapter will illustrate that corruption has different meanings and logic on different levels of society and that we need to distinguish between the predatory practices of kleptocratic elites and high-level state officials, which have nothing to do with '’survival', and the informal coping strategies of low-level officials and ordinary citizens. It argues that the '’corruption experiences' of every individual are mediated by her/his varied navigation skills and positionalities within the governance system.
