Building the Nation, Binding the State? National Identity, Patriotism, and Governance in Kyrgyzstan

October 29, 2013

Kara Downey, Stanford University

Abstract: Following the 2010 revolution and ethnic riots in the south, the Kyrgyzstani government again began to emphasis the importance of building a strong national identity, and passed a series of laws mandating increased attention to Kyrgyz history, language, and culture. Private citizens have also stepped in and financed monuments and conferences dedicated to Kyrgyzstan's cultural heritage. The creators and financiers of these projects argue that regular exposure to elements of Kyrgyz history will eventually create a sense of shared pride in the country, which will in turn lead citizens to feel a greater sense of unity with each other and be more willing to sacrifice their short-term interests for the common good.

A large literature in political science confirms that a strong and salient national identity (as opposed to more salient sub-national identities) tends to lead to better development outcomes and is deeply important for the consolidation of weak states. However, it is not clear whether the nation-building programs being used in Kyrgyzstan will lead to this sort of national identity. There are many excellent descriptive studies of use of cultural and historical propaganda in a variety of countries, but the conclusions about its effect on citizens' attitudes are vague. On the one hand, many studies (including those of Kyrgyzstan) suggest that such programs do not work, because of citizens' skepticism and even mockery of them. On the other hand, both ethnographic studies and research in cognitive psychology suggest that repeated exposure to certain messages and memes can shape attitudes in both conscious and subconscious ways.

My dissertation project uses an innovative methodology to study the causal effects of cultural and historical propaganda on national identity. A randomly selected nationally representative set of approximately 900 Kyrgyzstani citizens will receive a series of weekly text messages either about Kyrgystani history and culture or about a neutral topic until spring. They will then participate in a survey experiment designed to measure whether they are more tolerant and trusting of people from other ethnicities and regions, and whether they are more willing to sacrifice for the common good of the country. While I expect the text messages to increase national identity and patriotism, I think that in some cases this will raise rather than lower attachments to regional identity, and will increase rather than decrease satisfaction with the status quo.

Bio: Kara Downey is currently a Ph.D. Student in Political Science at the Stanford University. Her research interests lie in authoritarian institutions, mass media, political psychology, foreign aid, and development.

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