American University of Central Asia - AUCA

Perception of Territoriality. Territory as a determinant for the understatement of the Republic of Kyrgyzstan
Speaker: Anna-Barbara Heindl
Date: February 26, 2014
Venue: AUCA main building, room 315
Time: 17:15
The research project investigates the determinants that constitute the Kyrgyz state as a political territorial entity perceived by young Kyrgyz citizens. The investigation draws upon the fact that the understanding, concept and determinants of the modern states in Central Asia, such as a fixed territory and nation was introduced and applied externally by the Soviet. Thus, the investigation aims at understanding to which extent these external determinants of a state have been internalized by the young generation of citizens or how they contrast with the traditional understanding of territoriality. The young generation of Kyrgyz citizens only experienced political life according to these external determinants: fixed territories and “de facto” boundaries, as imposed by the USSR and continued to be used by the regional leaders after its collapse (cf. HANDRAHAN 2001). The research pays particular attention to the question to which extent ethnicity or even ethnification is necessary for young people to reason the Kyrgyz state’s territoriality.
The research draws upon the interdisciplinary concepts of Border Studies, as well as the basic politico-geographic consideration of society, power and space. Concepts and theories of the (nation) state are derived from political sciences. The particular consideration of Border Studies is used as a proxy to understand the perception of territoriality that Kyrgyz citizens have. In narrative interviews featuring issues of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek boundary, interviewees from Osh and Bishkek are encouraged to give and structure their opinion on Kyrgyz territoriality. First, the investigation shall give insight to the understanding of the relation between state and territory in the first place. In a second step, with applying questions on the othering in the scope of Border Studies (cf. NEWMAN 2011), the research investigates whether the perception of the Kyrgyz state’s territoriality is a result of an ethnic othering (cf. BRUBAKER 2002, OOMMEN 1997), or rather an othering geared towards other political units, without a special consideration of ethnic relations.
The research results can contribute to further investigations of conflicts that take place within the Kyrgyz territory. Especially the questioned relation between ethnification and territoriality gives an insight to tendencies, whether ethnification is likely to be fundamental in power-space-relations or rather not.

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