Social Cultural Environment of Kazakhstan
Social Cultural Environment
The process of shedding the Soviet Union and starting anew as the democratic Republic of Kazakhstan is made difficult by the fact that a large percentage of Kazakhstan is not Kazakh. According to the 2009 census there are two dominant ethnical groups in Kazakhstan, they are ethnic Kazakhs (63.1%) and ethnic Russians (23.7%) with a wide array of other groups represented, including Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, Chechens, Koreans, and Uyghurs - that is, virtually any group that has ever come under the Russian sphere of influence. Many of the non-Kazakh people of Kazakhstan have met attempts by the Kazakh government to make Kazakh the central, dominant culture of Kazakhstan with great disdain and quiet, nonviolent resistance.
Cultural values, symbols and norms. Kazakhs are historically a nomadic people, and thus many of their cultural symbols reflect nomadic life.
Kazakhs are Muslim by history, and even after seventy years of Soviet atheism, they incorporate Islamic symbols in their everyday life. The traditionally Muslim star and crescent can be widely seen, as can small Muslim caps and some traditionally Muslim robes and headscarves in the villages.
The Kazakhs developed a patriarchal view of the world. They banded together in extended family groups to battle the hardships of the environment and to protect their cattle and their families. This was officially called "ata-balasy", which means the joining of a grandfather’s sons into one tribe of extended family. The husband plays the primary role in family life and is ultimately responsible for the family’s survival.
Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian republic that experienced no ethnic conflicts since independence. The cultural characteristics of Kazakhstan are different from the West, yet capable of creating a stable and reliable system of internal networking and support. Kazakhstan is rich in social capital, which for centuries served well to ensure the survival and peaceful
The process of shedding the Soviet Union and starting anew as the democratic Republic of Kazakhstan is made difficult by the fact that a large percentage of Kazakhstan is not Kazakh. According to the 2009 census there are two dominant ethnical groups in Kazakhstan, they are ethnic Kazakhs (63.1%) and ethnic Russians (23.7%) with a wide array of other groups represented, including Ukrainians, Uzbeks, Germans, Chechens, Koreans, and Uyghurs - that is, virtually any group that has ever come under the Russian sphere of influence. Many of the non-Kazakh people of Kazakhstan have met attempts by the Kazakh government to make Kazakh the central, dominant culture of Kazakhstan with great disdain and quiet, nonviolent resistance.
Cultural values, symbols and norms. Kazakhs are historically a nomadic people, and thus many of their cultural symbols reflect nomadic life.
Kazakhs are Muslim by history, and even after seventy years of Soviet atheism, they incorporate Islamic symbols in their everyday life. The traditionally Muslim star and crescent can be widely seen, as can small Muslim caps and some traditionally Muslim robes and headscarves in the villages.
The Kazakhs developed a patriarchal view of the world. They banded together in extended family groups to battle the hardships of the environment and to protect their cattle and their families. This was officially called "ata-balasy", which means the joining of a grandfather’s sons into one tribe of extended family. The husband plays the primary role in family life and is ultimately responsible for the family’s survival.
Kazakhstan is the only Central Asian republic that experienced no ethnic conflicts since independence. The cultural characteristics of Kazakhstan are different from the West, yet capable of creating a stable and reliable system of internal networking and support. Kazakhstan is rich in social capital, which for centuries served well to ensure the survival and peaceful