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Abstract

This research explores the intersection of cultural globalization and gender identity among youth in Kazakhstan through a mixed-methods study conducted from 2015 to 2024. Combining quantitative surveys of university students and qualitative, semi-structured interviews, the study examines how multidimensional media consumption – covering music, cinema, influencers, and gaming – shapes contemporary constructions of masculinity and femininity in a post-Soviet context. The key findings reveal that youth identity in Kazakhstan is shaped by “nested globalization,” where Western, Asian (Hallyu), and Russian influences interact with local Kazakh “culture producers.” For young men, media consumption often reinforces “heroic” or hegemonic masculinity through genres like hip-hop, action cinema, and competitive video games. However, this masculinity is flexible; it is significantly influenced by shared nostalgia for Soviet and Western retro culture inherited from family environments. Young men act as “cultural omnivores,” navigating global trends while maintaining sustained ties to traditional family role models. Conversely, young women’s consumption has become increasingly individualized and empowered through digital development. While Western cinema remains dominant, Asian globalization, especially K-pop and Korean TV dramas, acts as a key driver for exploring diverse cultural stories and forming new gender identities. This mediated femininity enables women to challenge traditional norms by engaging with global celebrity “opinion makers,” thereby fostering a form of digital empowerment that blends global trends with local family values. This research explores how gendered aspects of globalization in Central Asia are shaped, an area that has been underexamined. By shifting the academic focus away from traditional topics such as nationalism, religion, and state-building, I argue that mediated gender identities are influenced by global flows but also renegotiated and localized. It offers a detailed view of how youth agency and digital media transform cultural citizenship in a post-Soviet society.