Original scientific paper
Contemporary Ethnic Processes in Kazakhstan
Ol’ga Naumova
; Institute of Etnography, Moscow, USSR
Abstract
The present paper discusses ethnic processes taking place among the peoples and national groupings of contemporary Kazakhstan: i.e. the Kazakhs, Russians, other Europeans including Germans, smaller Asian ethnic groups (Uzbeks, Dungans, Tajiks, Azerbaijanians), Tatars and Koreans. Statistical data are used to define their ethnic development, i.e. the dynamics of population growth, the share of those speaking their mother tongues and other languages (Russian and Kazakh), and the number of ethnically mixed families among them. The processes of ethnic consolidation are characteristic of the Kazakhs, as well as of Russians and Germans in Kazahstan. All the European groups gravitate towards the Russians; Ukrainians, Byelorussians and some small non-Slavic groups are even assimilated by them through ethnically mixed families and linguistically. The culture of Kazakhstan's European population has to a large degree lost the specificity of its constituent elements and contains many forms of an international nature. The group of Asian peoples are drawn closer toward the Kazakhs, but their linguistic and physical assimilation is virtually absent. Their culture largely retains traditional ethnic features. The interethnic relations in the republic have been influenced by the national policy pursued in Kazakhstan during the stagnation years. The former leadership of the republic favoured the Kazakh nation and displayed disregard for the interests of its other nationalities. This aggravated the relations between Kazakhs and Russians, Kazakhs and Germans etc.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
128410
URI
Publication date:
30.12.1988.
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