| ID | 180661 |
| Title Proper | Elite-level demonstration effect of the Arab Spring in Kazakhstan |
| Language | ENG |
| Author | Dorr, Sarah |
| Summary / Abstract (Note) | What impact has the ‘Arab Spring’ had upon Kazakhstan's approach to regime security? Short of the possibility of a ‘Central Asian Spring’, if and how the Arab Spring reshaped this authoritarian regime has not been addressed. A longitudinal narrative analysis of Kazakhstan's presidential rhetoric from 2005 to 2015 and fieldwork interviews indicated that the Arab Spring uprisings brought about an elite-level demonstration effect. That is, the regime perceived a heightened threat to its security as a result of instability and regime responses elsewhere, and it sought to shore-up its position and forestall the emergence of local challenges as a consequence of this, whether through discourse, behaviour or policy. This suggests that uprisings elsewhere, including those outside of a state's immediate region, can affect perceptions of regime security in the medium term, despite the absence of domestic unrest at home and a lack of close social and cultural ties between regions. |
| `In' analytical Note | Central Asian Survey Vol. 40, No.3; Sep 2021: p.330-350 |
| Journal Source | Central Asian Survey Vol: 40 No 3 |
| Key Words | Authoritarianism ; Kazakhstan ; Learning ; Regime Security ; Arab Spring ; Demonstration Effect |