HARDLY VISIBLE, HIGHLY ADMIRED? YOUTH PERCEPTIONS OF THE EU IN KAZAKHSTAN
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Date
2021
Authors
Arynov, Zhanibek
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Journal of Eurasian Studies
Abstract
Youth have always been one of the central target audiences of the European Union’s (EU) policies towards Central Asia,
which was once again emphasised in the recent EU Strategy for the region. This paper scrutinises how youth repre sentatives in Kazakhstan, Brussels’ closest partner in the region, perceive the EU and its policies. By doing so, the paper
shifts the focus from the EU-centric assessment of its external activities, which has long dominated the academic literature,
and provides a ‘voice’ to the targets of the EU’s various initiatives. Examining data obtained through the method of pictorial
test and focus group discussions with students of leading Kazakhstani universities, the paper argues that the issue Brussels
faces among youth is not an image problem, rather it is a visibility issue. Although Kazakhstani youth are aware of the EU’s
main ‘attributes’ at the basic level, they have little knowledge that goes beyond stereotypical, yet positive, images of it. This
stereotyped admiration towards the EU, however, is not necessarily an outcome of Brussels’ successful policies, rather it is
partly inherited from the historically idealised image of Europe. The paper suggests that increasing its visibility and better
communicating its policies and messages need to be a priority for the EU in Central Asia
Description
Keywords
Type of access: Open Access, European Union, Kazakhstan, perception, image, youth, visibility
Citation
Arynov, Z. (2021). Hardly visible, highly admired? Youth perceptions of the EU in Kazakhstan. Journal of Eurasian Studies, 13(1), 42–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/18793665211058187