What Does It Mean to Be Kazakhstani?

‘An excellent exploration of the multiple meanings of being Kazakhstani. Kudaibergen offers us a sophisticated and granular approach to the fluidity and hybridity of national identity, their lived experiences and their contestation.’ -- <b>Marlene Laruelle, Research Professor of International Affairs and Political Science, Elliott School of International Affairs, and author of <i>Central Peripheries: Nationhood in Central Asia</i></b> ‘With an engaging and reflective style, this book captures the reader like a novel. Based on archival sources and a myriad of interviews, it gives space to those actors who are frequently left without a voice in mainstream scholarship. An amazing read.’ -- <b>Assel Tutumlu, Associate Professor in Political Science, Near East University, and co-editor of <i>Multilateralism in Global Governance</i></b> ‘This original, engaging book provides the vocabulary to speak about complex, hybrid and entangled identities. Kudaibergen’s analysis is bold and uncompromising, refusing to shy away from topics which previously were only whispered about. Urgent and much-needed.’ -- <b>Selbi Durdiyeva, Center for Conflict Studies, Philipps University Marburg, and author of <i>The Role of Civil Society in Transitional Justice</i></b> ‘Blending rich description from the author’s personal experience with insights from years of dedicated scholarship, this book deftly speaks to the intricacies of common people navigating Kazakhstan’s “no-longer-postsoviet” identity landscape. A must-read for anyone interested in Central Asia.’ -- <b>Alexander Diener, Professor of Geography, University of Kansas, and author of <i>Invisible Borders in a Bordered World: Power, Mobility, and Belonging</i></b> ‘In this smart, wide-ranging, informative and deeply personal account of culture, society and politics in Kazakhstan, Kudaibergen brilliantly captures the ever-changing post-colonial experience. Engagingly written, this is a must-read for students of Kazakhstan, Central Asia and decolonial studies.’ -- <b>Edward Schatz, Director of the Centre for European, Russian and Eurasian Studies, University of Toronto, and author of <i>Slow Anti-Americanism: Social Movements and Symbolic Politics in Central Asia</i></b> ‘An authoritative and eloquent portrayal of Kazakhstan. This book offers a novel approach for explaining the diversity and complexity of identity politics through a comprehensive analysis of key political events and social issues in Kazakhstan since independence.’ -- <b>Cynthia Werner, Professor of Anthropology, Texas A&M University</b>