Boundaries of ethnic identity in Central Asia: titular and Russian perceptions of ethnic commonalities in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

Using data from nationally representative public opinion surveys done in 2005 in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, the authors focus on the titular groups as well as the Russians in both countries and provide assessments of their perceived ethnic commonalities with one another and with various other ethnic groups, including Uzbeks and Jews in each country. The results indicate that there are hierarchies of intergroup differentiations that help to delineate the boundaries of ethnic identities in both countries. Multivariate analyses show the systematic effects of regional variables in shaping these ethnic boundaries. The basic topographies of the boundaries are consistent with the effects of social identification processes and the relative power and social standings of the different target ethnic groups across the regions. Our results lend clear support to the ethnic boundaries paradigm by underscoring that ethnic boundaries can be independent of objective commonalities and can vary according to contexts.