Abstract:

In recent times, there has been a notable surge in the prominence of populist parties and politicians across the globe. From the United States to Denmark, and from Argentina to Kyrgyzstan, populism in its various forms has increasingly permeated the political arena, solidifying its foothold. The existing literature underscores the significance of studying populist attitudes (Akkerman et al., 2014; Hawkins et al., 2012), which have not only been observed in large segments of the populations worldwide but have also been proven to guide voting behavior towards populist entities in established democracies. However, scholars of populism tend to focus on specific regions, namely Europe and the Americas, so that growing varieties of populism in other areas of the Global South remain under the radar. The goal of my research project is to explore the nature of populist attitudes and their determinants in the context of Kyrgyzstan using the survey data from the Central Asian Barometer.

Abstract:

This study examines the production, dissemination, and impact of state-led nation-building discourses in Kazakhstan, focusing on key state initiatives such as Mangilik El (Eternal Nation) and Rukhani Zhangyru (Spiritual renewal). The central argument of the study revolves around the significant role played by mid-level bureaucrats in interpreting and implementing state-led nation-building programs. Notions like Mangilik El, as presented by Nazarbayev, often remain very vague, leaving considerable scope for multiple interpretations but also misunderstandings among those bureaucrats. Therefore, divergent interpretations of elite-produced notions such as Mangilik El among bureaucrats, lead to variations in program execution and potential incoherence within the discourse. Semi-structured interviews with mid-level officials, and participant observations of state-sponsored events in 2014 and 2017 were conducted to collect the data. This study contributes to the scholarly literature by providing empirical insights into the complexities of state-led nation-building processes and underscores the pivotal role of mid-level bureaucratic agency in translating elite discourse into nation-building projects.

Abstract:

The paper on the Evolution of Civil Society-State Relations in Kazakhstan since the Independence until and beyond Kantar 2022 is a part of a wider research on how a particular configuration in the relations between civil society and the state may serve as a factor to stenotherm (or, otherwise, undermine) political stability of a nation.

A comprehensive literature review enabled the author to come up with an analytical framework of three types of such relations each demonstrating a particular number of criteria. This framework was then applied while processing the results of the event and content analysis of both strategic documents and official statements together with the political and societal developments to identify whether they match the criteria. The author distinguishes between three periods, namely 1989-1995, 1995-2019, 2019-present. The findings show a distinct configuration in the relations between Kazakhstan’s civil society and the state during each period that constitutes a combination of at least two of the three abovementioned types. The author then proposes a classification of civil-society actors in terms of stabilizing/destabilizing impact on the political sphere in Kazakhstan. Finally, the case study of the tragic event in Kazakhstan of January 2022 is used to test the validity of such classification.

Abstract:

Kazakhstan, a diverse and multicultural country in Central Asia, is home a vast array of ethnic groups, including various minorities that contribute to the nation's cultural mosaic. The largest minority groups in Kazakhstan the Russians, Uzbeks, Uighurs, Ukrainians, and Tatars, among others. The government of Kazakhstan for many years sought to promote civic nation based state citizenship. To foster a harmonious coexistence among its diverse population, the officials used top down approach and policies that promoted cultural and linguistic pluralism.

The research on national identity in Kazakhstan has been based on top down approaches. However, recent research shifted toward a bottom up approach by exploring people’s views and attitudes toward governmentally sanctioned nation-building projects. Several scholars challenged the top down approach suggesting focusing on the views from below. Eric Hobsbawm, for instance, said that “the assumptions, hopes, needs, longings and interests of ordinary people cannot be neglected.” In the context of Kazakhstan, the issue of minorities has not received adequate attention. Some recent works focus on minorities (Werner et al 2017; Imyarova, 2022; Malakhov and Osipov, 2023) however, there was no a comprehensive overview/research on the views and attitudes of self, civic and ethnic identities by ethnic minorities in Kazakhstan.

Although the government has implemented some measures to protect the rights of minorities, interethnic clashes occurred in Kazakhstan from time to time. This research seeks to understand how minorities view the nation-building projects in Kazakhstan and to what extent they support civic and ethnic national identities. The research is based on a nation-wide survey (N=4,000) of ethnic groups conducted in 2023 and semi-structured interviews.

The question that the study seeks to answer include: To what extent ethnic minorities identify themselves with Kazakhstani identity and/or their own ethnic identity? How do ethnic minorities navigate their identities in the post-independence period? It provides a bottom up approach of how ethnic minorities position themselves in Kazakhstan and how they relate to Kazakhstani nation or ethnicity. The uniqueness of the study is that it contains data on perceptions and attitudes of 12 ethnic groups in Kazakhstan. This is one of the largest studies on nation-building in Kazakhstan.

References

Vladimir Malakhov & Alexander Osipov (28 Aug 2023): Managing Ethnic

Diversity in Post-Soviet Context: The Cases of Russia, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan, Problems of

Post-Communism

Imyarova, Zulfiya. "Balancing between majorities: the negotiable identity of Osh Dungans." Central Asian Survey 41.3 (2022): 402-418.