CAUSES OF ETHNIC CLASHES IN KAZAKHSTAN
Loading...
Date
2021-05
Authors
Lim, Vlad
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Nazarbayev University School of Sciences and Humanities
Abstract
In this research, I analyze the causes of violent confrontations that have taken place in
Kazakhstan since independence. In particular, I close an important gap in the literature: most works
have focused on certain aspects of ethnic problems in the country, such as language, migration, and
Kazakhization, while the causes of violent clashes themselves have been understudied. Thus, my
research demonstrates the roots of grievances that lead to mobilization of the titular ethnic group
along ethnic lines. I studied the conducive role of Kazakhization on the perception of ethnic
superiority among Kazakhs, demonstrating how the government promotes Kazakhness among
population. Kazakhization has played an important role contributing to the level of grievances
among ethnic Kazakhs. Also, I conducted a careful case selection to find the most suitable cases for
examination. I created a sample with three pairs of villages with common characteristics, where non Kazakh ethnic groups form the majority. The only difference between the pairs was the outcome.
Thus, one sample from each pair experienced violent confrontations, while the other did not. Once
I finished selecting cases, I proceeded to the actual examination of the theory. I studied the existence
of two essential conditions thatseed the feeling ofdeprivation and can be responsible forthe variation
across the pairs: poverty and inequality. Specifically, by looking at the data that measures level of
poverty, I show a correlation between violent confrontations and poverty rate. However, taking into
account that poverty is a common feature to all villages from my Sample size, I found that it is the
perception of inequality that is responsible for the variation. Since the data on violent clashes in
Kazakhstan is quite limited and can hardly be complete and reliable, I conducted a field study, where
I collected first-source data from surveys and in-depth interviews. The data from my field trip
reveals the correspondence between the feeling of relative inequality, reinforced grievances and the
outcome. Moreover, it shows that the ethnic distribution of business ownership can be a trigger that
determines the outcome. To be more specific, in the villages where major businesses and properties
belonged to ethnic Kazakhs, violent clashes did not occur, whilst in the villages, where major
businesses and v
properties belonged to ethnic minorities, violent confrontation did occur. Thus, building on the
theory of relative deprivation I reveal how business ownership leads to the feelings of deprivation
and subsequent grievances, which results in violent confrontations
Description
Keywords
Type of access: Open Access, ethnic relations, USSR, violent confrontations
Citation
Lim, V. (2021). Causes of ethnic clashes in Kazakhstan (Unpublished master`s thesis). Nazarbayev University, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan