Economic consciousness under pathologies: Evidence from Kazakhstan

Abstract

This study explores Kazakhstan's growing economic consciousness during a pathological economic environment characterized by widespread mistrust of institutions, perceptions of corruption, and systematic injustice. Data for this study came from a convergent mixed-methods survey of 500 people (ranging in age from 14–26 for students, 20–55 for workers, and 25–59 for entrepreneurs), as well as 20 semi-structured interviews with individuals representing each age group. The 35-item survey questionnaire measured opinions on economic values, socioeconomic attitudes, and institutional trust. Quantitative research found a negative correlation between youth optimism and confidence in institutions, and a favorable attitude toward change among the optimistic. The four main themes of the qualitative research that support these changes are: systemic skepticism and discontent, economic adaptability in an informal setting, young disenchantment with reform rhetoric from the government, and moral outrage over the privileges of the elite. Economic awareness is shaped by a combination of logical economic reasoning and emotional, generational, and moral reactions to how well institutions are doing their jobs, according to a thematic analysis of qualitative and quantitative data. More transparency, involvement of young people, and reforms to corporate regulations are important policy suggestions. Policymakers interested in the economic transition after the Soviet Union should use the research to influence their work, and it also lends credence to the idea that models of economic action should incorporate subjective narratives. There is a need for a broader knowledge of how people in Kazakhstan perceive, react to, and overcome economic dysfunctions since the country is particularly unusual owing to its reliance on oil and the history of centralized control.