The Kazakh Spring and waves of mobilization in Kazakhstan
In this talk, I argue that unconventional ways of political contention successfully shape the regime, its elites, and its forms of oppression even under the most authoritarian contexts and repressions. Using the context and temporal development of the Kazakh Spring protests (2019-ongoing), I focus on how the interplay between the repressive regime and democratisation struggles define and shape each other. Combining original interview data, digital ethnography and contentious politics studies, I argue that the new generation of activists, the likes of Instagram political influencers and renowned public intellectuals, can de-legitimise and counter one of the most resilient authoritarianisms and inspire the mass protests that none of the formalised opposition ever imagined possible in Kazakhstan. The talk will conceptualise how the post-Nazarbayev Kazakhstan struggles for its path to democratization.
Date: 30 January 2023, 17:00 (Monday, 3rd week, Hilary 2023)
Venue: St Antony's College, 62 Woodstock Road OX2 6JF
Venue Details: Nissan Lecture Theatre
Speaker: Dr Diana Kudaibergenova (Cambridge)
Part of: Russian and Eurasian Studies Centre Monday Seminar
Booking required?: Not required
Audience: Members of the University only
Editor: Daniel Burton