Skip to main content
Palgrave Macmillan

Kazakhstan and the Soviet Legacy

Between Continuity and Rupture

  • Book
  • © 2019

Overview

  • Provides a comprehensive view of Kazakhstan's struggle to affirm its sovereignty

  • Exposes scholars outside of the region to Central Asian thinkers on political philosophy

  • Offers a local perspective on the changes Kazakhstan faces in light of Chinese investment and development

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this book

eBook USD 109.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book USD 139.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Other ways to access

Licence this eBook for your library

Institutional subscriptions

Table of contents (9 chapters)

Keywords

About this book

This book examines Kazakhstan’s struggle to distance itself from its Soviet past over 25 years after its independence. To a very large extent, the affirmation of its sovereignty and a unique Kazakhstani way remain largely a matter of rhetoric. This book looks to explain the various aspects that show the continuity of Kazakhstan’s political system and governance with its colonial legacy, namely through its foreign policy, the country’s environmental policies, the judicial system, the management of religious diversity, the way youth organizations are structured and administered or how those who were born after the collapse of Soviet Union are still showing a typical Soviet behavioral attitude towards the political sphere.

What are the reasons for this reluctance or incapacity to break away from these ties of the past? Will the unavoidable political transition that will bring new individuals to the head of the state contribute to a real change? Will this lead to a break with the country’s past and a radical shift in the country’s policies or will things remain as they have been since 1991? This book provides some valuable insights on what may happen in the near future to the biggest country of Central Asia.  

Reviews

“The book will appeal to a wide range of readers including those with a general interest in Central Asian politics. ... The book is rich on context; it offers less when it comes to theoretical discussions about nation‐state and state‐building. ... the book will be a relevant read for those interested in studying Soviet policies and governance in post‐Soviet states.” (Javeed Ahwar, Journal of Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics & Society, JSPPS, Vol. 6 (2), 2020)

Editors and Affiliations

  • Nazarbayev University, Astana, Kazakhstan

    Jean-François Caron

About the editor

Jean-François Caron is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Nazarbayev University. His doctoral dissertation completed at the Université Laval (Canada) in 2010 focused on identity politics in multinational states. He has published articles about this topic in National Identities, Nationalism & Ethnic Politics as well the Journal of Intercultural Studies. 

Bibliographic Information

  • Book Title: Kazakhstan and the Soviet Legacy

  • Book Subtitle: Between Continuity and Rupture

  • Editors: Jean-François Caron

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-6693-2

  • Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan Singapore

  • eBook Packages: Political Science and International Studies, Political Science and International Studies (R0)

  • Copyright Information: The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. 2019

  • Hardcover ISBN: 978-981-13-6692-5Published: 04 April 2019

  • eBook ISBN: 978-981-13-6693-2Published: 26 March 2019

  • Edition Number: 1

  • Number of Pages: XIII, 209

  • Number of Illustrations: 6 b/w illustrations

  • Topics: Asian Politics, Asian Economics, Development Studies

Publish with us