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- Convenor:
-
Saulesh Yessenova
(University of Calgary)
Send message to Convenor
- Chair:
-
Saulesh Yessenova
(University of Calgary)
- Discussant:
-
Saulesh Yessenova
(University of Calgary)
- Format:
- Panel
- Theme:
- Anthropology & Archaeology
- Location:
- 207 (Floor 2)
- Sessions:
- Sunday 9 June, -
Time zone: Asia/Almaty
Abstract:
Previously defined as societies in transition, the post-Soviet successor states have demonstrated remarkable resilience. On the one hand, they succeeded at becoming functional members of the global community of the nation-states while, on the other had, they preserved the congenital approaches and practices developed in the former USSR. This panel addresses this situation in the post-transition societies, but as opposed to treating it as a mix of continuity and change, the papers explore the possibilities of social and political hybridity as the principal form of life that defines our world. The issue at stake in all three papers, focusing on different aspects of social and political life, such as power in the age of neoliberalism and authoritarianism, indigeneity and displacement, and nuclear science, is how this hybridity is conceptualized and exercised by the local actors as well as the states and to what ends. Approaching the social and political lives of the respective societies from the ethnographic perspective, this panel asks questions concerning the relationship between the state and society in the post-Soviet, post-nuclear, development and climate anxiety driven world, seeking to contribute to the ongoing debates in anthropology and other disciplines on the states of precarity and unfinishedness of lifeworlds as characteristics of the contemporary society.
Accepted papers:
Session 1 Sunday 9 June, 2024, -Abstract:
The name ‘Tuoi-Haia’ is familiar to many residents of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) in Russia. Many of them are acquainted with a song festival named ‘Tuoi-Haia,’ which has been held annually in the Republic since 1991. However, most do not know that initially, ‘Tuoi-Haia’ was the name of a village that flooded in the mid-1960s during the construction of the Vilyuy hydropower plant for the needs of the diamond industry in Western Yakutia. The state erased the history of Tuoi-Haia from the official narrative (Trouillot 1995), silencing it for decades. In this presentation, I will illustrate what kind of historical narrative was constructed around the diamond industry of Yakutia and will demonstrate what happened in Tuoi-Haia in the 1960s. After the flooding, the former village residents were resettled in neighboring villages, including Syuldyukar, the Indigenous Evenki community. Ever-expanding diamond mining in the 1970s caused the residents of Syuldyukar to lose their reindeer-herding economy. In the 1980s, they also faced the threat of possible resettlement. Since then, locals have fiercely resisted any talk of their relocation. This is also because the Tuoi-Haia tragedy and its consequences unfolded before the eyes of the locals. The mining industry closely intertwined the destinies of Tuoi-Haia and Syuldyukar. Drawing from the oral history of Syuldyukar and publications by former residents of Tuoi-Haia, I will explore the hidden social and cultural traumas and long-term consequences concealed in these state-led land dispossession projects.
Abstract:
The relationship between the state and citizens is complex and is often seen as unequal, especially in the case of authoritarian regimes. While definitive, the discussions of authoritarianism tend to simplify the state and society relationship since they often neglect the neoliberal nature of contemporary states. In this paper, I discuss the state and society by focusing on the multi-ethnic countryside in northern Kazakhstan where citizens are expected to tackle local issues without the state's assistance, relying only on their individual resources. I argue that this situation has led to the creation of “autonomous citizens.” The concept of “autonomous citizen” unbars the socially and politically invisible layer of communication between the state and its citizens, showing that at the regional level, there is a "power twist" whereas the state, being unable to address social and economic issues, integrates citizens in decision-making, sharing its authority in managing society. This twist empowers local citizens, providing them opportunities to have a direct influence on the community’s life. Through discussion of local practices, I ask whether the authoritarian regime is possible, at least in rural areas, under the conditions imposed by the neoliberal policies and expectations.
Abstract:
This paper explores the intricate interplay between science and the state in the context of nuclear science development in Kazakhstan with a specific focus on the Institute of Nuclear Physics in Almaty. It analyzes the historical dynamics of nuclear research in the country, transitioning from a focus on military applications during the Soviet era to pursuits in peaceful nuclear energy post-independence. A strong correlation has been identified between scientific endeavors and state interests, shaped by geopolitical and national factors.
Previous studies by Kazakh scientists have predominantly addressed the adverse health and environmental impacts of the Soviet nuclear industry. However, these studies often overlooked the social, cultural, and political contexts influencing nuclear science development in Kazakhstan. This underscores the complex interaction between scientific initiatives and government interests, sometimes overshadowing social issues and genuine scientific concerns in pursuit of strategic objectives.
This article not only analyzes the importance of methodological approaches in social science research when investigating the development of nuclear science in Kazakhstan but also provides a comparative analysis of the methodological and theoretical approaches presented by foreign researchers in similar studies. To address these limitations, an integrated social scientific approach is proposed, incorporating qualitative interviews, historical analysis, and archival research. The objective is to uncover the sociocultural and human dimensions of nuclear science development, highlighting the state's influence and the colonial legacy. This interdisciplinary approach is expected to deepen understanding of the relationship between science and government in Kazakhstan and foster broader dialogue on issues of science, society, and governance.