CASI RESEARCH SEMINAR: “Localizing norms: comparative perspectives on human rights, gender and ethnicity in Central Asia”

November 18, 2015

Medet Tiulegenov, Head, Division of Politics and International/Area Studies, AUCA

Abstract: The presentation would provide preliminary results of the study of the normative changes in the areas of human rights, gender and ethnicity in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. The cross cutting theme applied in these three issue areas is a norm of participation in public life, which largely defines a notion of a political regime. As a standard of appropriate behavior this norm is looked at through political rhetoric and as well as actions of political actors (mostly the ruling elite). Interrelatedness of political rhetoric and actions in regard to the public participation infer signaling of and framing norms and instituting them into practice. This study looks at how this happens in countries that have quite different (and in some aspects similar) contexts and whether contestation of norms is referred to external vs. internal frames.

This study situates itself within the literature on authoritarian dynamics and transition (O’Donnel & Schmitter, Schedler, Levitsky & Way, etc.), norms diffusion (Finnemore and Sikkink, Risse, Rope and Sikkink, etc.), and authoritarian discourse and framing (Snow and Benford, Zald, Shatz, etc.). It is based on analysis of presidential rhetoric and legal normative changes during the post-soviet period, on interviews that were conducted in these three countries, and on other secondary data.

Bio: Medet Tiulegenov is teaching political science at the International and Comparative Politics Department of American University of Central Asia. His research and teaching interests include civil society in transition countries, political institutions and politics of ethnicity, public policy and governance in the developing world. He graduated in history from Kyrgyz State University (1993), received Master of Public Administration from Bowling Green State University, USA (1996) and currently is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at Central European University, Hungary.

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