Paper abstract:

Social media in Central Asia seems to have become the most important platform for information. Today, journalists and bloggers, civil society representatives, and political activists actively use various social media channels. And these activists become opinion leaders, thanks to active actions in different areas of society and promoting themselves in social networks. Social networks have become a relatively independent, and sometimes the only reliable source of information in the course of political events. This research focused on the role of social media influencers during important political events such as elections. The purpose of this study is to investigate the role and influence of opinion leaders on society through social networks during the elections. Since 2013, the editorial office of Vlast in Kazakhstan has been presenting the rating of opinion leaders on the Kazakhstan Internet, its subsequent updates are carried out monthly. For measurement, about 30 candidates from various fields are preliminarily selected, after which their activity in social networks for a certain period is analyzed. The first rating is based on the measurement from December 20, 2013, to March 26, 2014. The core of this research project is an elaborate content analysis of the rating of social media influencers, and also determines the impact of social media leaders on society. Based on the results of the study, it is possible to determine what unites all social media leaders and whether they can be called trendsetters and innovators in their fields.

Paper abstract:

The far-reaching consequences of the Soviet Union’s collapse continue to reverberate throughout Eurasia as its former states grapple with questions of national and cultural identity. In the absence of the USSR, discussions around the occurrence of a larger ‘Russophonia’ or global population of Russian speakers has exposed and scrutinized links between Russianness and the former ‘Soviet’ identity, demonstrating the ways non-Russians are othered by their proximity, or lack thereof, to Russianness. This complex exploration of identity can, likewise, be observed in Russian-Kazakh rap music.

Within the context of post-Soviet Kazakhstan, rap music can be interpreted as a medium for the construction and expression of the ‘self’ and the ‘individual’ as part of a larger cultural and social environment. Therefore, this paper seeks to determine the relationship between global hip hop culture, language, and aspects of Kazakh poetry and performance in respect to Kazakhstani rap in the 21st century.

Paper abstract:

Dance has been an important part of Central Asian culture for millennia and continues to play a significant role in the contemporary Uzbek society. The Lazgi dance is seen an important part of Uzbek culture, reflecting its rich history and traditions and presented as a form of cultural expression, as a narrative and a form of social interaction. In my paper, I will discuss the origins of the dance and its evolution as well as its several contemporary and controversial roles in different contexts, from the indigenous folk dance to the official cultural brand of Uzbekistan.

In recognition of its cultural significance, the Khorezm Lazgi dance was inscribed to the UNESCO Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018. It is argued that the dance's connection to fire and the natural world reflects humanity's enduring fascination with the cosmos and our attempts to connect with it, while the cyclical movements of the dance offer a sense of timelessness. However, it is also interesting to observe how the Lazgi dance has evolved over time under the influence of various factors, such as cultural exchange and modern interpretations, such as given in Laura Adams’s book ‘The Spectacular State’.

In this paper, I will argue that the use of a traditional dance such as Lazgi as a cultural brand can be controversial depending on the context in which it is used. On the one hand, promoting the dance as ‘traditional’ can help preserve cultural heritage, promote tourism, and provide opportunities for cultural exchange. It can also contribute to the sense of identity and pride of the local community.

On the other hand, there are potential negative effects that should be considered. One such effect is the free definitions of the original form of dance or its distortion or misrepresentation, which can result from its commercialisation and commodification. Promoting the modern reconstruction of the dance as a traditional and unchanging form obscures the true history and evolution of the dance. This cultural branding leads to cultural stereotypisation of the dance’s origins, a loss of its authenticity and cultural significance, and contributes to its neo-colonial cultural appropriation.

Paper abstract:

The proposed paper introduces the most common reoccurring archetype in Uzbek modern cinema—daughter-in-law (kelin). Continuous questions of women’s role in household matters in the context of cultural relativism, the helplessness of daughters-in-law in the face of traditional systems, and nurturing girls as future bearers of the collective identity and honor gave rise to a cinematic discourse commonly referred to as what I call daughter-in-law films. Films on this topic are mainly presented in the genre of comedy or melodrama, occupying the top position in the film market with their simple and exaggerated storylines popular not only among local people but also abroad, particularly in the CIS countries. The paper examines sociocultural situations influencing the status of the daughter-in-law both in reality and films and provides an analysis of on-screen conflicts between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law as well as the position of a husband as an intermediary link that are posing numerous issues concerning gender dynamics in Uzbek families. The “ideal” patriarchal image of a woman from one of the most successful commercial films “Superbride” (2008) is put into opposition with contrasting images of treacherous daughters-in-law, who represent unconscious anxieties about the decline of national traditions and the rise of women’s independence resurfaced in the cinema.