THE CONSTRUCTION OF GENDER ROLES PERCEPTIONS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Abstract

This research analyzes the construction of gender roles perceptions among youth in the Kazakhstani context. The study applies Inglehart’s modernization theory that argues that socioeconomic development will lead to the change of values in the society (Inglehart 1990, 1997, 2000, Inglehart & Welzel 2005, 2010). Considering that Kazakhstan is experiencing multiple nation-building processes mostly driven by the state, three narratives appear as a re-sult: traditional, modern and postmodern narratives. These narratives result in the superposi-tion of three gender roles models: Model 1 “woman=mother, man=breadwinner”, Model 2 “woman = mother& breadwinner, man = breadwinner”, and Model 3 “woman = breadwinner and/or mother, man = breadwinner and/or father”. The study tests the following hypotheses to understand how the construction of gen-der roles perceptions operates: 1) given that Kazakhstan is experiencing multiple processes of nation-building, there will be multiple narratives in the Kazakhstani society; 2) if a gender role perception is constructed through the traditional, modern and postmodern narratives, the gender roles perception should also be mixed of three gender roles models.