Viva-voce examination – July 21, 4 p.m.

On July 22 at 4 p.m.,  Gulnara Miribayeva will be defending her thesis in a public viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

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Title: “Trapped between Misery and Joy.” Young Women’s Experience of Unintended Non-marital Pregnancy in Kazakhstan

 

This multiple case study focuses on young unwed mothers residing at the Mother’s House non-governmental organization. Based on the qualitative data collected during in-depth interviews and ethnographic observations at Mother’s Houses in Kostanay and Almaty, the study aims to examine the factors that bring unwed mothers to the facility. These factors are analyzed through the lens of honour and shame hypothesis, which states that in so-called honour and shame societies, male members of the family claim control and ownership of female members’ bodies and sexualities; thus, sexual misbehaviour of a woman brings dishonour upon men in the family, who can reclaim honour by punishing the woman. The author demonstrates limited applicability of honour and shame hypothesis within the context of this study, although it provides new perspectives on the way kin relations are conceptualized in Kazakhstan. The results of the study show that non-acceptance of the child by the young mother’s family serves as a critical factor for her seclusion at the Mother’s House. Moreover, by taking the discussion beyond the honour and shame framework, the analysis suggests that unwed women actively negotiate social norms and reclaim agency over their lives by embracing lone motherhood.    

 

Internal Advisers: Gavin Slade & Alima Bissenova  
External Adviser: Laura Piacentini, University of Strathclyde Glasgow 

Viva-voce examination – July 17, 3 p.m.

On July 17 at 3 p.m.,  Zhanar Tuyakpayeva will be defending her thesis in a public viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

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Title: Landscape in the Perception of the People Living in the Altai Republic

This thesis examines the perception of the landscape by the people living in the Altai Republic. The religious practices of the Telengits – an ethnic group inhabiting the south of the republic – are examined in order to understand what the setting is for understanding the native landscape. The author aims to identify preliminary background that allows us to understand how the topic of landscape might be approached. This thesis approaches the landscape through understanding it through the Telengits belief or worldview, which embraces such religious practices such as jalama/kyira (ribbon tying) and ule/oboo (cairns). Although the Imperial/Soviet ethnography ideologically assigned these practices to be a part of shamanism – a term used for defining different practices among the people inhabiting Altai, this thesis re-visits this definition and gives another concept, which is Altai jan. Altai jan is said to be a genuine belief of the Telengits that embrace such practices jalama/kyira and ule/oboo and other, that conducted to placate spirits who inhabit places making whole Altai an entity before it is solid land. The thesis results in the statement that in order to maintain their landscape, the Telengits state that practices must be conducted. However, as the practices are being forgotten, the landscape is deteriorating, which causes the weakening of their ethnic identity too.

Internal Advisers: Daniel Beben & Eva-Marie Dubuisson  
External Adviser: Jesko Schmoller, Center for Religious Studies, Bochum

Viva-voce examination – July 16, 4 p.m.

On July 16 at 4 p.m.,  Zhansaule Kimel will be defending her thesis in a public viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

 

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Title: Boutique owners of Astana: Women Entrepreneurs’ Thorny Path to Success

Many people believe that shuttle trade does not exist anymore and it is a thing of the past.  Shuttle trade as an activity in which individual peddlers buy goods abroad and import them for resale in local markets and street shops, was one of the main achievements that created millions of jobs and ensured relative stability at a time of uncertain 1990s.  Today’s shuttle trade exists under the guise of various types of business enterprises and legalized entrepreneurship. Sometimes it is still the only income source for many households of post-Soviet Kazakhstan. This thesis asks what the effects of shuttle trade have been on the personal lives of merchant women in Kazakhstan.  I focus on the narratives of women and their own evaluation of the impact of trading on their lives. This study focuses on the experience of the women who got involved in shuttle trade after the collapse of the Soviet Union and their perspective on that experience from today’s standpoint.  It reveals the losses and challenges that women faced in their lives as merchants. This topic is interesting not only from the perspective of assessing the situation of free-market trade activities after the demise of the Soviet Union but also from the perspective of analyzing the experience and stories of those merchant women. In this paper, women express their views and attitudes toward their business, life, work, family and also how their life perceptions changed over time. These women were the ones who, with their hard work, physically created the capitalist market, sometimes without any knowledge and tools. Their contributions to the social and economic development of the country remain highly relevant. I find that despite the benefits of shuttle trading for women including financial independence, freedom, and/or social influence, it has also significant costs and brings some regrets. By travelling the road from the small-scale petty trading to successful and legal business ownership, women traders contributed and in some ways shaped the market economy of post-Soviet Kazakhstan.  This study will add value to the knowledge of the shuttle trade process not from the economic perspective but from the socio-cultural sensitivity. It would be in interest to those who are interested in gender, sociology, culture, to learn the experience of merchant women from their own viewpoint and understand the role of women in a patriarchal society as Kazakhstan.

Internal Advisers: Alima Bissenova & Saltanat Akhmetova  
External Adviser: Regine Spector, University of Massachusets Amherst

Viva-voce examination – July 15, 4 p.m.

On July 15 at 4 p.m.,  Yuliya Ten will be defending her thesis in a public viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

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Title: Gender Nonconformity and Homosexuality in Kazakhstan’s Contemporary Visual Culture

While gender binarism and heterosexual relations are widely present in traditional art spaces such as museums and art exhibitions in modern Kazakhstan, non-normative gender and sexual behaviour can rarely be seen there. Artists who post their visual works in social media compensate for this lack of alternative depiction of gender and sexual minorities in the mainstream art spaces. However, these artists remain largely understudied in the academic literature on gender studies and visual culture in Central Asia. In this thesis, I contribute to this literature by studying the depiction of gender and sexual non-conforming people in contemporary visual culture in Kazakhstan’s social media. By analyzing the illustrations by three artists – Murat Dilmanov, Daniyar Sabitov, and Veronika Fonova – I demonstrate the spectrum of diverse representation of non-normative gender and sexual expression. First, I claim that Dilmanov’s political caricatures offer a simplified heteronormative depiction of gay and effeminate men. In order to show that the way the artist depicts queers in his illustrations is limited to a stereotypical image of gays, I use Bakhtin’s concept of monoglossia. Second, I show that, in his collages, Sabitov creates a utopian image of Kazakhstan where queers are well-integrated into a broader society; I explain his project by using Munoz’s concept of queer futurity. I argue that Sabitov’s collages, although offering a less stereotypical depiction of queer people, still imagine them within heteronormative and assimilationist realm. Third, I claim that Fonova is an artist who (contrary to Dilmanov and Sabitov) moves from a political and/or activist agenda and concentrates instead on the depiction of the private life of queer people. By focusing on their romantic life in the context of a daily routine, Fonova demonstrates the diversity of gender and sexual nonconformity as something that exists naturally. It exists not as part of political activism, but rather as something that is surrounded by what can be seen as queer boringness of everyday life. Thus, I show the progression of gender nonconforming and/or homosexual people’s depiction in the visual culture of modern Kazakhstan moving from heteronormative stereotypical (Dilmanov) and assimilationist (Sabitov) to non-heteronormative (Fonova) rhetoric.

Internal Advisers: Victoria Thorstensson & Erika Alpert  
External Adviser: Diana Kudaibergenova, Cambridge University

Viva-voce examination – July 13, 4 p.m.

On July 13 at 4 p.m.,  Dulat Ilyassov will be defending his thesis in a public viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

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Title: Construction of queer identities based on the queer discourses in Kazakh

This thesis examines the construction and expression of a queer identity on the example of queer fiction written in Kazakh in modern Kazakhstan. A single work of fiction titled “Renaissance”, and written by a young Kazakh man, who identifies himself as gay is analyzed in connection to the platform, on which this work is created and disseminated. The work’s connection to the notions of space and time is highlighted, in order to reveal the inner complexities of the queer experience among the Kazakh-speaking gay men in Kazakhstan. The work and its sociocultural prerequisites are analyzed through the use of Foucauldian notion of heterotopia. The effect that heterotopias have on identity is studied through the use of Derridian grammatology and Deleuzian notion of rhizomatic connections. Reddit style forums on the VK social media written by and for gay men are studied with the purpose of isolating and examining various processes that are taking place within the Kazakhstani queer community. These forums are then connected to the page, on which the work of fiction under study is published. The thesis traces the metamorphoses of the main protagonist’s identity within the story. These traces are found in the language of the text, as well as the interactions between characters and the setting of the story. This analysis resulted in the understanding of queer identity as a dynamic phenomenon.

Internal Advisers: Erika Alpert & Jenni Lehtinen
External Adviser: Dan Healey, Oxford University

Viva-voce examination – May 20, 8 p.m.- 10 p.m.

On May 20 at 8 p.m., Ulbazar Ilyassova will be defending her thesis in a viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

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Title: Why Kazakh comedians do not make jokes about women anymore: a study of humorous monologues about women 

Making jokes about women is a common pattern in contemporary male-dominated Kazakh comedy. Kazakh comedians make critical jokes about women, judging women’s behaviour and appearance and ridiculing them for following beauty trends or for going to the gym. This kind of comedy is widely popular in Kazakhstan, with humorous monologues performed in concert halls, then broadcast on TV, and later actively shared on various social media platforms. I link this representation of women as imagined by male Kazakh comedians to the history of Soviet and Soviet Kazakh comedy, where stage comedy developed as a form of social critique. Then, I closely read contemporary humorous monologues applying feminist theories of Simone de Beauvoir and Betty Friedan about the objectification of women by men. In doing so, I apply Irving Goffman’s term ‘footings’ to uncover the ways in which comedians communicate their critiques on women in front of a mixed audience. I reveal that comedians propagate traditional views on gender relations according to which women should be submissive to men in family and society. Male comedians criticize any changes in women that they fear may lead to dysfunction in traditional gender roles. In addition, I draw on interviews with audience members in an attempt to learn the social consequences of the ideologies of gender relations propagated in jokes about women. The interviews show that humour’s function as a social critique and as propaganda of national values contribute to positive receptions of jokes about women. Yet there is also a part of the audience who do not agree with these critiques of women. I argue that the reception of the audience depends on whether the viewers support or oppose the nationalistic views that the comedians communicate via their jokes.

Internal Advisers: Gabriel McGuire & Reza Taherkermani
External Adviser: Kristoffer Rees, Indiana University

Viva-voce examination – May 4, 4 p.m.- 6 p.m.

On May 4 at 4 p.m., David Orlov defended his thesis in a viva-voce examination on zoom platform.

Title: Origins of Bosnian Humor and Its Role During the Siege of Sarajevo

The present research provides an ethnographic study of Bosnian humor. The primary emphasis here is on the siege humor. Sarajevo, the capital city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, was besieged from 5 April 1992 to 29 January 1996. Now it is known as the longest siege of a capital city in the history of modern warfare. Nevertheless, besieged Sarajevo is famous not only for the daily horrors experienced by its citizens and war crimes committed against them but also for the spirit that helped the city to survive. Humor constituted a significant part of that spirit. As Srdjan Vucetic, a scholar of Bosnian origins, in his article on humor and identity in Bosnia and Herzegovina, summed it up “Sarajevo owes a large part of its fame to the fabled spirit of its besieged citizens, who have employed humor to defuse the tension”. Although this statement is correct, assuming Sarajevan siege humor as only a coping mechanism that people have employed to diffuse tension is a too simplistic view of the phenomenon.

The research argues that the war has made Bosnian self-directed and self-deprecating humor more visible but its origins lie in the stereotypes ascribed to Bosnians, who were a historically oppressed and minority group, by outsiders long before the siege of Sarajevo. By engaging in self-directed humor Bosnians restore their dignity. Humor has become a natural coping mechanism that they use to cope with daily hardships and consequently, it became an inseparable part of Bosnian culture and identity. Not surprisingly humor persisted and flourished during the siege of Sarajevo.

Internal Advisers: James Nikopoulos & Jean-Francois Caron
External Adviser: Tanja Petrovic, Institute of Culture and Memory Studies, Ljubljana, Slovenia 

Viva-voce examination – May 8, 9:00-11:00

On May 8 at 9 a.m., Sandra Real will be defending her thesis in a viva-voce examination. The viva is public and all are welcome to attend.

Room 8.105, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Title: Narratives of Kumis Production and Consumption in Contemporary Kazakhstan

Kumis, a beverage made with fermented mare´s milk, is a part of national cuisine, symbol of health, and unique cultural identity in modern Kazakhstan. It is also a part of the traditional cycle of horse husbandry and the modern small business production that thrives in the countryside around big cities. In my study, based on the in-person and online survey of kumis consumers and on in-depth interviews with kumis producers in the two major cities of Kazakhstan, Astana and Almaty, I explore the dynamics of kumis supply chain and customer behaviour and discuss how modern-day city dwellers make choices about kumis consumption while imagining the landscape, seasonality, and “natural-ness” of kumis production.

Internal Advisers: Alima Bissenova & Christina Pugh

External Adviser: Russel Zanca (Northeastern Illinois University)

Viva-voce examination – May 7, 19:00-20:00

On May 7 at 7 p.m., Adel Kosherbayeva will be defending her thesis in a viva-voce examination. The viva is public and all are welcome to attend.

 

Room 8.105, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Title: Neither Allowed to Get Old, Nor Allowed to Stay Young: Kazakhstani Aged Women Negotiate Ageing 

Critical literature on ageing and old age points to the pervasiveness of ageism and that aged people do not celebrate high social status in modern industrial capitalist societies. At the same time, anti-ageing discourses give the agency as well as place the responsibility to “fight” with ageing and old age on the aged people themselves. While above-mentioned dictates are more or less global and can be applied to many modern societies, Kazakhstani societal and cultural patterns simultaneously dictate its own expectations regarding the limits, opportunities, and rights of aged people. Sociocultural expectations also greatly depend on gender.

Building on the discourse analysis of qualitative interviews with Kazakhstani aged women (59-69 years old) this study points to multiple, complex, and contradictory discourses around old age, ageing, and gender permeating and shaping social lives of aged women in today Kazakhstan. Nevertheless, this study also shows that aged women are not passive recipients of societal discourses about gender and ageing. Instead, they are active participants in discourse production. By talking about caregiving practices that constitute a significant part of their lives and ageing experience, they exploit contradictory societal discourses regarding ageing, old age, and gender roles. This and other self-representation discursive strategies allow them to maintain a sense of control, dignity, self-worth, continuity in their lives, and connectedness to others.

Internal Advisers: Sofiya An & Erika Alpert
External Adviser: Cynthia Werner (Texas A&M University)

Viva-voce examination – May 6, 17:00-19:00

On May 6 at 5 p.m., Merey Otan will be defending her thesis in a viva-voce examination. The viva is public and all are welcome to attend.

 

Room 8.105, School of Humanities and Social Sciences

 

Title: Not suitable for Kazakhs? Authenticity and National Identity in Contemporary Kazakhstani Music

In the two decades since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the musical landscape in Kazakhstan has come to include diverse localized versions of global music. The alternative soundscape of modern Kazakhstan encompasses rhythmic electronic dance sounds, hard rock, romantic and mellow indie, harsh rap, experimental rock, and other genres. Modern musicians now use an electric version of a traditional instrument, the elektro-dombyra, to perform ethnic rock. The language of performance among musicians varies from Kazakh to Russian and English. One recent phenomenon in Kazakhstan is the emergence of ‘Q-pop’, which is largely modeled on K-pop and which is rapidly gaining popularity among the local audience. Many of these performers faced some criticism for their unconventional choices of instruments, genres, and visual images. This thesis addresses the questions of what strategies these musicians themselves use to claim authenticity, and how these strategies intertwine with local discourses of national identity, language, and gender.

In answering the research questions, the project uses qualitative ethnographic research methods, including in-depth interviews with musicians, producers, and cultural activists from Almaty, Astana, and Taraz, participant observation of the concerts, together with a textual and visual analysis of songs. The project will look closely at performances of the traditional qobyz player Almat Saizhan, the ethnic rock group Aldaspan, the indie group Moldanazar, and the Q-pop group Ninety One. It will also briefly discuss choices of indie bands like Molto Loud and city&shivers, rock group Far in Gate, electronic project KinRai, and a rapper Kanamar, focusing on their choices of instruments, language, and genre. The thesis will illustrate how Almat Saizhan and Aldaspan assert legitimacy by performing on ancient and modernized versions of traditional instruments, by engaging with discourses of national identity, and by recreating local ideas of hegemonic masculinity. It will show how all of my participants legitimize themselves through explaining their language choices and will unravel the language ideologies implicit in these explanations. Finally, the project will outline how Moldanazar and Ninety One declare authenticity by adapting global ideologies of indie and K-pop genres to local ideas of authenticity and autonomy, and by embracing to varying extent ideas of alternative masculinity.

 

Internal Advisers: Gabriel McGuire & Meiramgul Kussainova
External Adviser: Rachel Harris (SOAS, University of London)