The image of the future of Kazakhstan during the COVID-19 pandemic: optimistic and pessimistic views of respondents

10.54398/1818510X_2022_4_110

Annotation

This study is part of a study conducted by the Department of Sociology and Psychology of Politics, Faculty of Political Science of Lomonosov Moscow State University. This article is devoted to a comprehensive study of the image of the future of one's own country, which is an integral part of the political picture of the world of the entire Kazakhstani society as a whole. In addition, today this topic is very relevant, since it occupies an important place on the agenda of Kazakhstan. The purpose of the study is to reveal the features of the image of the future of Kazakhstan through the eyes of Kazakhstanis during the COVID-19 pandemic. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the interdisciplinary consideration of this issue involving all categories of respondents inhabiting the Republic of Kazakhstan in an in-depth interview. The sample consisted entirely of respondents from all regions of Kazakhstan. The research methodology included 80 in-depth interviews that were conducted during the period of quarantine restrictions, namely the period of 2020 and 2021. The interview template included questions related to the impact of quarantine on the image of the country's future. The article revealed that it is clearly difficult for all categories of respondents to assess the image of the future of Kazakhstan as a value setting during a pandemic. As a result, various alternatives for the development of the future of Kazakhstan were identified, both optimistic and pessimistic based on the answers of the respondents. It should be emphasized that this study is of a qualitative nature, therefore it does not pretend to be representative, but at the same time it shows substantial trends in the existing image of the future in the mass consciousness of the inhabitants of Kazakhstan. In this regard, this issue requires close attention and further continuous study.

Keywords

• image of the future
• Kazakhstan
• COVID-19 pandemic
• quarantine
• in-depth interviews
• respondents
• optimistic view of the future
• pessimistic view of the future
• instability
• uncertainty
* click on a keyword to go to the search

References

1. V Almaty arestovali dvukh inostrantsev, podozrevaemykh v izbienii politseyskix pri zakhvate akimata [In Almaty, two foreigners were arrested, suspected of beating police officers during the seizure of the akimat]. Available at: https://mediazona.ca/news/2022/02/15/foreigners (accessed: 30.05.2022).
2. Vyvod voysk ODKB nachalsya v Kazaxstane [The withdrawal of the CSTO troops began in Kazakhstan]. Available at: https://inbusiness.kz/ru/news/vyvod-vojsk-odkb-nachalsya-v-kazahstane (accessed: 30.05.2022).
3. "Vynosili i marodery, i zhiteli blizlezhashchikh domov". Kak vyglyadyat TTsz Almaty posle pogromov ["The marauders and the inhabitants of nearby houses carried out." What the Almaty shopping centers look like after the pogroms]. Available at: https://tengrinews.kz/news/vyinosili-maroderyi-jiteli-blizlejaschih-domov-vyiglyadyat-458826/ (accessed: 30.05.2022).
4. Gavrilyuk, T. V. Ponyatie "Obraz budushchego" v kategorialnom pole fenomenologicheskoy psikhologii [The concept of “image of the future” in the categorical field of phenomenological psychology]. Obshchestvo: sotsiologiya, psikhologiya, pedagogika [Society: sociology, psychology, pedagogy]. 2016, no. 5, pp. 57–59.
5. Dva dnya, kotorye potryasli starika. Reportazh iz Almaty – epitsentra protesta protiv Tokaeva i Nazarbaeva [Two days that shocked the old man. A report from Almaty, the epicenter of the protests against Tokayev and Nazarbayev]. Available at: https://mediazona.ca/article/2022/01/06/twodays (accessed: 30.05.2022).
6. Zheltikova, I. V. Issledovaniya budushhego i mesto v nikh kontsepta “obraz budushchego” [Research of the future and the place in them of the concept “image of the future”]. Filosofskaya mysl [Philosophical thought]. 2020, no. 2, pp. 15–32. doi: 10.25136/2409- 8728.2020.2.32302.
7. Zolotukhina-Abolina E. V., Ingerleyb M. B. Obraz “Svetlogo budushchego”: problema sotsiokulturnykh strategiy [The image of the "Bright Future": the problem of socio-cultural strategies]. Vestnik Moskovskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta kultury i iskusstv [Bulletin of the Moscow State University of Culture and Arts]. 2021, no. 1 (99), pp. 6–15. doi: 10.24412/1997-0803-2021-199-6-15.
8. Kazaxstan zanyal pervoe mesto po tempam rosta pryamykh inostrannykh investitsiy... [Kazakhstan ranked first in terms of growth in foreign direct investment...]. Available at: https://kursiv.kz/news/finansy/2021-08/kazakhstan-zanyal-pervoe-mesto-po-tempam-rosta-pryamykhinostrannykh (accessed: 30.05.2022).
9. Kazaxstan nuzhdaetsya v obraze budushchego [Kazakhstan needs a vision for the future]. Available at: http://www.politrus.com/2022/01/28/%D0%BAazakhstan-analytics/ (accessed: 30.05.2022).
10. Kazaxstantsy stali chashche soobshchat o nasilii vo vremya karantina [Kazakhstanis have become more likely to report violence during quarantine]. Available at: https://kazakhstan.unfpa.org/ru/news/%D0%BA%D0%B0%D0%B7%D0%B0%D1%85%D1%81%D1%82% D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%86%D1%8B-%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B0%D0%BB%D0%B8-%D1%87%D0%B0%D1%89%D0%B5-%D1%81%D0% BE%D0%BE%D0%B1%D1%89%D0%B0%D1%82%D1%8C-%D0%BE-%D0%BD%D0%B0%D1%81%D0%B8%D0%BB%D0%B8%D0%B8- %D0%B2%D0%BE-%D0%B2%D1%80%D0%B5%D0%BC%D1%8F-%D0%BA%D0%B0%D1%80%D0%B0%D0%BD%D1%82%D0% B8%D0%BD%D0%B0 (accessed: 30.05.2022).
11. Kakoy on, obraz budushchego Kazaxstana? [What is it, the image of the future of Kazakhstan?]. Available at: https://camonitor.kz/28135-kakoy-on-obraz-buduschego-kazahstana.html (accessed: 30.05.2022).
12. Nevaktsinirovannykh sotrudnikov rabotodatel imeet pravo otstranit ot raboty bez sokhraneniya zarplaty [The employer has the right to suspend unvaccinated employees from work without pay]. Available at: https://vlast.kz/novosti/45834-nevakcinirovannyh-sotrudnikovrabotodatel-imeet-pravo-otstranit-ot-raboty-bez-sohranenia-zarplaty-mintruda.html (accessed: 30.05.2022).
13. Ni vlast, ni obshchestvo ne sposobny predlozhit strane obraz budushchego [Neither the authorities nor society are able to offer the country an image of the future]. Available at: https://zonakz.net/2020/11/23/ni-vlast-ni-obshhestvo-ne-sposobny-predlozhit-strane-obrazbudushhego/ (accessed: 30.05.2022).
14. Novyy kurs Tokaeva: politika, ekonomika, sotsialka i pravozashchita glazami ekspertov [Tokaev's new course: politics, economics, social sphere and human rights protection through the eyes of experts]. Available at: https://365info.kz/2022/02/novyj-kurs-tokaeva-politikaekonomika-sotsialka-i-pravozashhita-glazami-ekspertov (accessed: 30.05.2022).
15. Obraz budushchego kazaxstantsza issleduyut v RK [The image of the future Kazakhstani is being studied in the Republic of Kazakhstan]. Available at: https://ru.egemen.kz/article/245785-obraz-buduschego-kazakhstantsa-issleduyut-v-rk (accessed: 30.05.2022).
16. Obrazy budushchego v mechtakh kazaxstantsev [Images of the future in the dreams of Kazakhstanis]. Available at: https://newtimes.kz/mneniya/128570-obrazy-budushchego-v-mechtakh-kazakhstantsev (accessed: 30.05.2022).
17. Poslanie Prezidenta Respubliki Kazaxstan – Lidera natsii Nursultana Nazarbaeva narodu Kazaxstana [Message of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan – Leader of the Nation Nursultan Nazarbayev to the people of Kazakhstan]. Available at: https://strategy2050.kz/ru/page/multilanguage/ (accessed: 30.05.2022).
18. Prava cheloveka v Kazaxstane: “Seychas "lezhit" vsya strana” [Human rights in Kazakhstan: "Now the whole country is lying"]. Available at: https://rus.azattyq.org/a/kazakhstan-human-rights-day-expert-opinions/30993272.html (accessed: 30.05.2022).
19. Segal, A. P. “Obraz budushchego” ili virtualnaya realnost? O prostranstve formirovaniya lichnosti [“Image of the future” or virtual reality? On the space of personality formation]. Professionalnoe obrazovanie v sovremennom mire [Vocational education in the modern world]. 2017, vol. 7, no. 4, pp. 1380–1387. doi: 10.15372/PEMW20170407.
20. Svoboda slova na karantine: “vyklyuchayut mikrofon” i “ne dopuskayut v zal suda” [Freedom of speech in quarantine: “they turn off the microphone” and “they are not allowed into the courtroom”]. Available at: https://rus.azattyq.org/a/kazakhstan-freedom-of-expressionquarantine-2020/30942494.html (accessed: 30.05.2022).
Read more

Popular articles