Theoretical framework
Data
We have collected data from experts as historians who conduct independent research and are part of reliable institutions such as the State History Institute to understand the USSR times and the history of the Kazakhstan period after independence. To test their relationship and answer our research question: "How does society in Kazakhstan perceive the state narrative of history?" We came up with three hypotheses from our literature review. The higher the level of education, the less trust in the state narrative in Kazakhstan, because the government fits the type of "flawed democracy" and can be subjective about its sources, while people with high education seek objectivity due to critical thinking skills.
Secondary schools (NIS, KTL, gymnasium, РФМШ) have less confidence in the state narrative of history than regular schools, because these schools focus on critical thinking and are more likely to question the narrative. Thus, we hypothesize that critical thinking may lead to less confidence in the textbook story because students with critical thinking are more likely to question the content.
Methods
Overall, this research does not disprove the relationship between the hypotheses and does not invalidate either hypothesis.
Analysis
We transcribed the interviewees manually and by looking at the content, we identified findings that answered and expanded our research question. In this way, we could take a closer look at the relationship between each variable. For example, instead of looking at the relationship between trust and occupation type, we separately analyzed private and public sector trust in different narratives.
The ethic of the study
STATE NARRATIVE OF KAZAKHSTANI HISTORY
Kazakhstani/Kazakh history education during the Soviet Union
Thus, it can be understood that the detailed parts of the history books of the USSR focused on the USSR itself. The books also focused on the Soviet Union's achievements in liberating Kazakhstan from feudalism, strengthening its economy, and promoting social growth, which were significantly influenced by Soviet ideology. One of the interviewees further explained that the history of the world was prioritized over the history of Kazakhstan, reflecting the Soviet government's emphasis on the global struggle between communism and capitalism.
While a 5th grade student today is studying the program designed for 6th grade students, making the language of the content more difficult to understand. One of the main highlights is that the teaching was focused on excessive memorization of facts and figures, with little emphasis on critical thinking or independent inquiry.
Kazakhstani/Kazakh history after the independence
There was a subjective factor in the form of the teacher who taught history, who was also the director of the school and did not have enough time to devote to teaching the subject. Regarding the concept of the Akorda as the predecessor of the Kazakh Khanate, the interviewee claims that historians have long refuted this. Based on the analysis of interviews, it is clear that changes have occurred in the way history is taught in Kazakhstan after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
According to the interviewee, the significance of the history of Kazakhstan has increased, and it is now taught as a distinct discipline. This structure is designed to ensure consistency in the content and organization of the textbooks. Although this approach may limit the creativity of the authors, it also helps to ensure that the textbooks are comprehensive and cover all necessary topics.
One of the central changes is the presentation of the history of medieval Kazakhstan, which will now be presented in multiple parts instead of one (President, 2021). They don't look at the whole thing.” Interviewee 6 gave an example of the political structure of the khanate. The interviewee believes that this does not fully recognize the diversity of the political system.
Moreover, interviewee 5 emphasizes that the figures who fought for the freedom of the Kazakh people, the historical events, the Khans and the Saka civilization make them proud of their culture. They gave an example of Kenesary Khan, who is believed to be a hero fighting for the freedom of the Kazakh people, when in fact he thought that the state was a legacy of his grandfather Ablay. If this is the goal of the stories, interviewees 7 (influencer) and 8 (professor) think that the goal has yet to be achieved since Kazakhstan's independence.
The societal perception of history narrative by State
STATA analysis on social perspective: dependent and independent variables
We then tested the relationship between trust in independent media and education level (bachelor's, master's, PhD and 'others'). As shown in Table 2, bachelor's and master's degrees have a positive relationship with trust in independent media. The p-value for bachelor's degree is 0, demonstrating its statistical significance, and for one unit increase in bachelor's degree, the log odds of independent media increase by 2.007.
The p-value for masters is 0.004, and for one unit increase in masters the log odds of independent media increase by 1.841. This may be because bachelor's and master's degrees are progressive variables, which show a positive correlation with independent media. We also tested whether stories other than independent media and school stories could be influenced by education level.
The p-value for this is 0.025, and for a one-unit increase in other levels of education, the log odds of independent media increases by 1.755, roughly doubling (see Appendix B). Higher schools (NIŠ, KTL, gymnasium, RFMS) trust the state narrative of history less than ordinary schools, because these schools are oriented towards critical thinking and have more qualified teachers to develop these skills. However, high school students with a p-value of 0.005 and a p-value of 0.016 showed a positive significant relationship to confidence in textbook narration (Table 1).
This may mean that public school students consume both sources and have the same amount of trust in both narratives. The regression showed that workers in the private sector have a positive attitude towards trust in independent media storytelling. When choosing "other", the responses of employees in the public and private sectors showed non-significant results (see Appendix B).
Control variables
It can be seen that with a p-value of 0.012, the relationship is significant compared to the public sector workers who do not have a significant relationship. It can be seen that history brings out more events, figures and historical facts that left footprints in Kazakhstani history. The research indicates that history telling and national identity are interrelated and that history can be the instrument to construct the national identity.
We can see that the topics covered by the content of the books cover the events that happened on the territory of Kazakhstan, where the Kazakhs are described as heroes. Moreover, the findings suggest that it is unnecessary for all students, and for those who are not advanced, listing facts may be more useful. A focus on comprehension can be more beneficial as students learn according to their abilities and are encouraged to understand what they have learned.
Authors need more time to research information and think about content that can be placed on the page. Especially in modern history, it can be seen that some events are censored by the government, but can be found in independent media and sources. However, looking at the content of some bloggers and influencers, it can be seen that they are also focused on posting content that makes people proud of Kazakhstan's history, such as @unknownkazak (Instagram), which is a popular page with 159 thousand followers.
However, the reasons for the significant association with textbooks, independent media narratives, and "hard to answer" may be different. This may be why people hesitate to answer which narrative they trust more. This may be because these two languages are mainly the first and main languages of communication in the country.
Research summary
Practical implications
Address myth-making and the use of unverifiable sources: Addressing these misconceptions about Kazakhstan's history in the school curriculum is critical. Expand the scope of the research and the research should be expanded to analyze the level of trust: the current study focused on analyzing whether state narrative and independent media have a significant relationship with social trust, but does not include the level of trust. It would be beneficial to increase the diversity of the sample to ensure that the findings are more representative of the entire population.
This can help provide a more balanced view of the media's role in shaping Kazakhstan's national identity. For this, a dialogue between the state and the academic community is necessary. It is essential to highlight important inscriptions such as Tonykok, Bilte Kagan, Karakhanov and Kultegin period, and to use primary sources in learning processes.
This can also help to increase confidence and appreciation of the story as people will learn not from adaptations of the resources but directly interact with them. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://www.instagram.com/unknownkazak/. THE FORMATION OF THE ALPHABETICAL SYSTEM IN THE HISTORY OF KAZAKH WRITING. Educate to hate: The use of education in creating antagonistic national identities in India and Pakistan.
2020) Modern trends in the development of historical school education in the Republic of Kazakhstan--Palarch's Journal of Archeology of Egypt/Egyptology. As an independent source, Do you see any difference in the independent sources and state books of Kazakhstan. How do you think, does the perception of history differ between the young and the old?
Мемлекеттің тарихты осылайша баяндауының ұлттық бірегейлік саясатына немесе басқаша айтқанда ұлттық бірегейлік саясатына қатысы бар ма? 11-сұрақ - Қазақстан тарихындағы ең маңызды кезеңдерді немесе оқиғаларды атаңыз.
Limitations of the study
Suggestions for further research/ and or policy recommendation
