Impact of interethnic relations in the Southern region of Kazakhstan on social stability and national unity: based on the results of an expert survey

Abstract

The purpose of this work is to study expert assessments of interethnic relations in the Southern region of Kazakhstan. The study is based on an expert survey that was conducted among scientists, experts in the field of interethnic relations in a number of cities of Kazakhstan in August 2023, the number of participants was 50 people. In addition, as part of the work, a discourse analysis was carried out based on media publications and scientific articles devoted to the topic under consideration. The research questions included the study of the influence of the main factors that negatively affect the formation of interethnic relations in the Southern region of Kazakhstan, and the vision of experts regarding what should be done in terms of preventive policy in the field of interethnic policy in the region.

The originality or value of this study lies in the fact that it has, for the first time, proposed a hierarchy of factors that influence the extent of interethnic relations in the southern region of the country and the priority measures (recommendations) that must be taken to prevent the existing and potential threats of intensification of interethnic conflicts in the region. The study demonstrated that the factor that has the greatest negative impact on the formation of interethnic relations in the Southern region of Kazakhstan is the lack of land resources, their quality, price and availability. Therefore, the program related to the resettlement of the population from the southern regions of the country to the northern ones proves its relevance. Along with this, the socio-economic factor is also of great importance, which is also due to problems associated with employment of the population and high unemployment rate. At the same time, the main condition for solving these problems is to increase the efficiency of government, ensure its openness, equality of all before the law. The results of the expert survey obtained within the framework of the Project were presented at an extended meeting of the Scientific Expert Council of the Assembly of the People of Kazakhstan (November 15, 2023), which made it possible to use them preventively in research and practical activities.