Psychology

O.Aimaganbetova, A.Aimaganbetov

Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan

The problems research ethnic identity in multi-ethnic Kazakhstan

Ànnotation:

As the study has shown, in the case of positive interethnic relations the weight of ethnic identity in less than that of gender, vocational and other identities; in the case of negative interethnic relations ethnic categories became the strongest ones and determined social perception. The regularities of the transformation of ethnic identity types in the process of interethnic interaction have been revealed.

Key words: interethnic relations, ethnical identity, national-ethnic group, multicultural, tolerance.

         I. INTRODUCTION: The topicality of the theme under development is due to social-economical and political changes, happening in the post Soviet area, which have brought former USSR republics to sovereignty of the states and activated ethnic processes. Under these circumstances ethnic identity is becoming one of the important milestones of a person in his/her surrounding environment, which determines his/her relations with representatives of other national-ethnic groups. For polyethnic and multicultural Kazakhstan with the population of above 130 ethnos, this problem is of high priority.

       Theoretic-methodical reason for our ethnic identity research is findings of Erickson, who thought that the crisis, happening in the society is becoming a defining moment of personal development, in consequence of which, elements of a new identity are being formed. It concerns not only an individual, but the entire community, as well as ethnic community. At the same time we have rested upon G. Lebon’s standpoint that during the periods of social prosperity the ethnic background is lost among ideas and image of a present-day world.

II. METHODS: Into the research area of ethnic identity we use a methodical development “Types of ethnic identity”. Six types of ethnic identity with various expressions have been specified, oriented on the accentuation of 18 views: from positive ethnic identity (level of ethnic identity norm), ethnic indifference (level of hypoidentity), ethnic nihilism (level of hypoidentity), ethnic egoism (level of hyperidentity), and ethnic isolationism (level of hyperidentity) to ethnofanatism (level of hyperidentity).

Degree of tolerance and intolerance is determined on the basis of learning the attitude towards own and other national-ethnic groups, the threshold level of emotional response to “foreign language” environment and degree of aggression manifestation towards the representatives of other groups.

The content-analysis has been used during the research. With its help the percentage of types and levels of ethnic identity between sample groups has been found out. A criterion φ* has been used for estimation of the difference authenticity between sample groups percentage. Students from Almaty, Shymkent and Aktobe, representatives of the Kazakh and Russian ethnos were used as the objects of an empiric study. The study was performed in two stages in 2001 and 2008.

III. RESULTS: Analysis of the results of the Kazakh and Russian sample groups research in 2001 on 3 cities– Almaty, Shymkent and of Aktobe shown on Figures 1,2, 3.

Types of ethnic identity (Almaty)

33,2%1,5%19,3%7,8%22,8%15,4%

27,2%0,4%7,0%9,2%29,3%26,9%

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure 1

 

 

Types of ethnic identity (Chymkent)

21,1%21,6%20,3%24,7%20,4%24,7%

25,2%20,3%24,8%18,6%1,9%21,8%

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure 2

    

 

Types of ethnic identity (Aktobe)

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure 3

 

Therefore, during the ethnopsychologycal research and content-analysis of the results it is determined that in 2001 in the Kazakh and Russian sample groups there was a domination of hyperidentity (Figure 4).

 

 

 

Distribution of ethnic identity levels among three cities (2001)

21%54,5%24,5%

20,4%58,1%21,5%

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure 4

   

Analysis of ethnic identity types and levels study results of 2008 among students of Almaty, Shymkent and Aktobe shows that the representation of the main types and levels of ethnic identity in the Kazakh sample group has changed (Figure 5, 6, 7).

 

Types of ethnic identity (Almaty)

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure 5

 

 

Types of ethnic identity (Shymkent)

46,5%18,3%10,7%15,8%21,1%0,1%

20,5%3,6%3,8%10,2%24,5%37,7%

Kazakhs

 

Russians

 

Figure 6

 

Types of ethnic identity (Aktobe)

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure 7

 

Consequently, in 2008 there were the significant transformations of ethnic identity types: positive ethnic identity became typical for 43,6 per cent Kazakh and 36,7 per cent Russian students; hypoidentity – for 16,4 per cent Kazakh and 21,3 per cent Russian students, hyperidentity – for 40 per cent Kazakh and 42 per cent Russian students (Figure 8).

Distribution of ethnic identity levels among three cities (2008)

16%40%44%

21,3%42%36,7%

Kazakhs

Russians

Figure  8

 

IY. CONCLUSION:

During the cross-cultural research of Kazakh and Russian ethnical identity processes in multi-ethnic Kazakhstan show that ethnical identity is a dynamic phenomenon and it’s ability to transformation of the interethnic relation. The transformations of fundamental types & levels of ethnical identity comes from influence social, economic and politic factors and are reflection existence of interethnic relations.

REFERENCES:

(1)        Aimaganbetova O.K. Cross-cultural research structure interethnic relations. – Kiev: Institute Psychology, 2007. – 286 p.

(2)        Soldatova G.Y. Psychology interethnical tension. - M.: Sense, 1998. - 389 p.

 

 

 

 

Olga H. Aimaganbetova, professor of ethnical and pedagogical psychology department of the Kazakh National University by Al-Farabi. Scientific degree – doctor of psychological science

Home address: Republic of Kazakhstan, post index 050063 Alma-Ata, Jetysu-2 micro-region, bld 51, flat 4.

e-mail: alnara25@mail.ru