The development of social capital among Bolashak graduates and the Alumni of other international programs in Astana

Abstract

In this master’s thesis I focus on the development of social capital among Kazakhstani youth. In particular, I aim to investigate the way people with international qualifications enrich their social capital in Astana. Upon return to Kazakhstan, the international graduates join different (sometimes multiple) social networks which are involved in a variety of activities including but not limited to charity, team building, public meetings with state officials, volunteering in orphanages. In the thesis I analyze two social groups, Bolashak Association and Astana Alumni Association, which mainly operate in Astana. I draw primarily on James Coleman’s conceptual framework, which supports an analysis of both the personal and social utility of social capital. In addition, such dimensions of social capital as bonding and bridging and Bourdieu’s concept of habitus are employed to understand the graduates’ rationale to become part of the social groups.