PhD
Instructor, Criminolgy & Sociology
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
School of Social Sciences
Sociology
Criminology
604.986.1911 ext. 2049
Fir Building, room FR447
dilsorafozilova@capilanou.ca
Education
BA, Sociology, University of British Columbia
PhD, Sociology, University of British Columbia
"My research explores how societies construct radicalism and extremism, examining the legal and moral boundaries of religious freedom."
Bio
Dilsora Fozilova (PhD, University of British Columbia) is a sociologist whose teaching and research explore the intersections of religion, law, and state power in post-Soviet Central Asia.
She holds a BA and MA in Sociology from the University of Alberta and a PhD in Sociology from the University of British Columbia, where her doctoral research examined the paradoxical governance of Islam in Uzbekistan. Her work investigates how secular states construct and control the categories of “radicalism” and “extremism,” and how legal and moral frameworks are used to criminalize religious expression.
At Capilano University, Dr. Fozilova teaches sociology and criminology courses such as Power, Identity and Culture, Surveillance and Social Control, Women and Crime. She is deeply committed to student-centered learning that connects global sociopolitical issues to everyday life. Her teaching encourages critical reflection on questions of morality, justice, and identity—inviting students to examine how power operates through institutions, media and belief systems.
Fozilova’s broader research interests include authoritarian secularism, moral governance, and the mediatization of religion in digital spaces. Her forthcoming book, Radical Revival: The Complex Dynamics of Islam and State in Uzbekistan (Palgrave Macmillan), builds on her PhD dissertation to offer a relational and theoretically innovative account of state–religion relations.
Before joining Capilano University, she taught at the University of the Fraser Valley and the University of British Columbia. Her work contributes to ongoing discussions on human rights, state secularism, and the global politics of religious freedom—bridging sociological theory with urgent contemporary debates about extremism, control and belief.
At Capilano University, she teaches courses such as CRIM 210 – Gender, Crime and Justice, CRIM 202 – Surveillance and Social Control, and SOCI 200 – Identity, Power and Culture. She previously taught a wide range of courses at other universities, including:
SOCI 305 – Sociology of Families
SOCI 330 – Culture and Cognition
SOCI 399 – Fear and Social Anxieties
SOCI 445 – Advanced Topics in Deviant Behaviour: Deviant Subcultures
SOCI 201 – Key Ideas in Sociology
SOCI 245 – Deviant Behaviour
SOCI 101 / SOCI 1125 – Introduction to Sociology
SOCI 421 – Sociology of Fear
SOCI 376 – Classical Sociological Theory
SOCI 371 – Deviance and Social Control
VANT 148 / 149 – Interdisciplinary Research Project
Fozilova’s research examines the intersection of religion, law, and state power in post-Soviet Central Asia. Her work analyzes how secular regimes construct and criminalize “radicalism” through legal, moral and media frameworks. Her forthcoming book, Radical Revival (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025), explores Islam and governance in Uzbekistan. She also studies research ethics under authoritarianism, gender and violence and equity in global higher education.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
Fozilova, D., & Husain, M. (2025). Neoliberal repercussions in the postsecondary education sector: A comparative case study between Uzbekistan and Bangladesh with emphasis on equity, diversity, and inclusion. European Education, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1080/10564934.2025.2454684
Komil-Burley, D. (2021). Conducting research in authoritarian bureaucracies: Access, cooperation, participation and avoiding the influence of gatekeepers. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 20, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406921996862
Komil-Burley, D. (2021). Islamic revivalism and the paradoxical governance of religion in Uzbekistan: Observers under strict state surveillance. In D. Penney, D. Gogel, M. Tabassum, & K. Morris (Eds.), Watch: A Humanities Graduate Students’ Anthology (pp. 45–61). University of British Columbia.
Fozilova, D. (2017). Irregular labor migration and human rights. Journal of Law Research, 8(8), 67–79. Tashkent, Uzbekistan. https://doi.org/10.26739/2181-9130-2017-8-8-7
Forthcoming Publications
Fozilova, D. (in press). Radical Revival: The Complex Dynamics of Islam and State in Uzbekistan. Palgrave Macmillan. [Book scheduled for publication December 1, 2025.]
Fozilova, D., & Ramatov, J. (in press). Social Conflicts. Tashkent State University of Transportation Press. [Textbook scheduled for publication early 2026.]
Conference Presentations and Publications
Fozilova, D. (2025, September 27). Islamic civilization and the modern state: New foundations of religious and secular dialogue. National University of Uzbekistan.
Fozilova, D. (2025, January 26–February 1). The role of social networks in radicalization and de-radicalization: A relational perspective on violent extremism. Oxus Society / Harvard University Davis Center, Tashkent.
Fozilova, D. (2023, May 16–20). Dialectical radicalization: The relationship between the state and Islam in post-Soviet Uzbekistan. Canadian Sociological Association, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences, Canada.
Fozilova, D. (2021, May 31–June 4). Madness and extremism: Violence against the adashganlar during the Karimov presidency. Canadian Sociological Association, Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences.
Fozilova, D. (2019, March 27–31). Neoliberalism, Islamic revivalism, and repression in post-Soviet Uzbekistan. International Studies Association, Toronto, Canada.
Fozilova, D. (2018, February 23). Transition away from socialism and resurgence of Islam in Uzbekistan. Association for Central Eurasian Studies, Indiana University, USA.
Fozilova, D. (2019, May 26–June 1). Linguistic capital: Its merits and limitations for theorizing power and inequality. Canadian Association of Applied Linguistics, University of Regina.
Fozilova, D. (2017, May 4–7). What is linguistic capital? How language serves as a mechanism for power and inequality. BC TEAL Annual Conference, Vancouver Community College.
Fozilova, D. (2014, April 16). Irregular labor migration and human rights: Why Uzbek irregular workers suffer abuses in Russia. 9th Annual Graduate Conference, University of Alberta.
Fozilova, D. (2013, May). Forced and child labour in the cotton industry in Uzbekistan. 8th Annual Graduate Conference, University of Alberta.
Other Academic Contributions
Fozilova is the creator of Sociological Lens, a YouTube-based public sociology channel featuring over 300 academic lectures and videos that promote accessible sociological learning and critical thinking across topics of religion, inequality and global change.