Defense of the dissertation of Kossyn Merey for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in the educational program «8D02201 - Philosophy»
L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University, a dissertation defense for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Kossyn Merey on the topic «Contemporary Central Asia: The crisis in the value system and symbolic exchange» to the educational program «8D02201 – Philosophy».
The dissertation was carried out at the «Philosophy education department» of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University.
The language of defense is kazakh
Official reviewers:
Abuov Aidar Parkulovich – Doctor of Philosophy, Director of the “Etalon” Research Institute (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Baisarina Zhazira Slamkulovna – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Assistant Professor at the School of General Education, Astana IT University (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan).
Temporary members of the Dissertation Council:
Koblandin Kalybek Ibragimuly – Doctor of Historical Sciences, Advisor to the President of the “Otandastar Foundation” Nonprofit Joint-Stock Company under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Tuleubekov Assyl Serikovich – Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of General Education Disciplines at Maqsut Narikbayev University (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Nuradin Gulkhan Bolatkyzy – Candidate of Philosophy, Associate Professor of the Department of Philosophy and Political Science at Taraz University named after M.Kh. Dulati (Taraz, Republic of Kazakhstan).
Scientific advisors:
Tursynbaeva Aigul Omirbekovna – Candidate of Philosophical Sciences, Professor at the Department of Philosophy of the L. N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University (Astana, Republic of Kazakhstan);
Muireann O'Cinneide – Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Lecturer at the Faculty of English and Creative Arts of the University of Galway, and Director of the Program in Culture and Colonialism (Galway, Ireland).
The defense will take place on December 05, 2025, at 03:00 PM in the Dissertation Council for the training direction «8D022 – Humanities» in the educational program «8D02201 – Philosophy» of L.N. Gumilyov Eurasian National University. The Dissertation Council meeting will be held in a hybrid format (online and offline).
Link: https://clck.ru/3Q8Cdp
Conference ID: 678 160 9970
Access Code: 12345
Address: Astana, st. A. Yanushkevich, 6, Building No. 4, room 106
Abstract (English): General Characteristics of the Dissertation. In recent decades, the countries of contemporary Central Asia have faced numerous social transformations. These changes, in turn, have led to a transformation of the system of values that constitutes the inner structure of society. A philosophical study of a society’s system of values makes it possible to identify the formation and development directions of the multilayered social structures that compose it. In recent years, new tendencies such as the “re-evaluation” and “reconsideration” of values have emerged across Central Asian countries. The philosophical investigation of these processes and transformations has thus become an issue of great importance today. A shared challenge for the countries of Central Asia lies in finding harmony between traditional culture, national identity, and the pressures of globalization. The value crisis in Central Asia is a complex phenomenon arising from the intersection of historical, political, and social factors. Each country seeks its own solution, yet all share the same ultimate goal — to create new values that both preserve national identity and respond to the demands of the modern world. The relevance of the Research Topic. The relevance of the research topic is based on the historical significance of philosophically examining the transformations within the current system of values in Central Asia. A system of values represents a set of norms, meanings, and ethical orientations that define a given society. Since the late 20th century—and particularly from the 1990s onward in Central Asia—neoliberal ideology has begun to dominate. According to American scholar Wendy Brown, neoliberalism is not merely an economic system but a political-ontological regime that transforms the very way human beings perceive themselves. Neoliberalism has turned the individual into an “economic man” (homo oeconomicus), wherein values are increasingly defined by market criteria. However, this issue has not yet been thoroughly explored within the field of philosophy. Therefore, in this study, the neoliberal economic structures that directly influence the transformation of value systems in the region are examined through the conceptual framework of symbolic exchange. The changes in Central Asia’s system of values are linked not only to these global trends but also to the postcolonial historical context. During the Soviet era, the cultural codes of the region’s nations underwent ideological revision, leading to the weakening of historical memory, language, religion, and traditional institutions. Drawing on Edward Said’s concept of Orientalism, one can observe how the region’s identity was “othered” through externally imposed epistemological frameworks. This situation resulted in a crisis of values that is still felt today, even on an existential level. The condition of “thrownness” described by German philosopher Martin Heidegger aptly captures the existential state of contemporary Central Asian youth: they live within a market system and consume Western values, yet they have not completely detached themselves from their national and cultural integrity. Between these two poles, a new form of existence—a hybrid being—is emerging. Thus, studying the values that are changing and being reborn within this new temporal context allows us to better understand who we are. The object of the research is the transformation of the system of values in contemporary Central Asian countries. The subject of the research is the system of values in modern Central Asian societies and the theories and practices that enable an understanding of its transformation. The Purpose of the Dissertation is to conduct a comprehensive socio-philosophical analysis of the transformation and re-evaluation of the system of values in contemporary Central Asia. The tasks of the Dissertation research: 1. To study the development of “decolonial” and “postcolonial” socio-philosophical thought in Central Asia and its influence on the system of values; 2. To analyze the transformation of values through the concepts of “anomie” and “alienation,” and to examine contemporary values in relation to the question of being within the framework of the concept of “hybrid existence” in the context of decolonization; 3. To conduct a comprehensive analysis of the re-evaluation of pre-colonial value structures, drawing on the experiences of other formerly colonized nations; 4. To carry out a comparative study of the influence of the “modernity/coloniality” project on transformations within local systems of values; 5. To analyze the discourses of civic values within the independent media sphere; 6. To examine the discourses of resistance to neoliberal economic values in literary texts through the conceptual framework of symbolic exchange. The Degree of Study of the Dissertation Topic. The study of values in philosophy emerged as an independent field at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, known as axiology. Within philosophy, different schools, movements, and theories have examined values from diverse perspectives. One of the most influential philosophical movements of the 20th century in this regard is poststructuralism. In poststructuralist research, values are analyzed in connection with language, power, and cultural codes. According to Michel Foucault, values are formed through discursive structures and are constantly regulated by institutions of power. For Foucault, values represent the mechanisms of power that shape truth and normativity. Similarly, Pierre Bourdieu, through the concepts of “cultural capital” and “social field,” demonstrates how values become mechanisms that reinforce social inequality. In this framework, values are not treated as neutral or universal entities but as historically constructed concepts. Representatives of postcolonial theory — Edward Said, Gayatri Spivak, and Homi Bhabha — emphasize that the process of presenting Western values as universal is rooted in colonialism and cultural domination. In Orientalism, Edward Said exposes the ideological nature of the system of values imposed upon the East. In her essay “Can the Subaltern Speak?” Gayatri Spivak critiques the silencing of marginalized voices. The reformation of a formerly colonized nation’s own system of values remains one of the most significant issues in philosophy and postcolonial studies. One of the most influential scholars to have addressed this topic is Kwasi Wiredu, a leading African philosopher of the postcolonial period. His philosophical project seeks to critically reinterpret African traditions and to decolonize African philosophy from Western dominance. In his works “Philosophy and an African Culture” and “Cultural Universals and Particulars: An African Perspective”, Wiredu argues that colonialism was not limited to material or political domination but was also carried out through the imposition of Western concepts and categories. Another prominent philosopher who studied this topic is Kwame Gyekye. In his works “An Essay on African Philosophical Thought: The Akan Conceptual Scheme” and “Tradition and Modernity: Philosophical Reflections”, Gyekye explores how formerly colonized societies can re-evaluate and reconstruct their own systems of values. He criticizes the colonial view that depicted traditional African culture as backward or irrational. However, he also warns against blind traditionalism, asserting that tradition must be critically examined through the lens of reason. In recent years, a number of Central Asian scholars have begun to address similar themes. One of the most notable among them is the philosopher Madina Tlostanova, who explains her research as follows: “Europe continues to impose its gender relations, aesthetic principles, and knowledge standards on the entire world. In my work, I strive to reject this unjust stance and to resist and transform the modernity/coloniality system.” Among Central Asian researchers studying values in the post-Soviet period from the perspective of social and cultural anthropology are Alima Bissenova with her work “Qazaqstan. Kazakhstan, قازاقستان: Labyrinths of the Contemporary Postcolonial Discourse”, Aksana Ismailbekova with “Blood Ties and Native Sons: Poetics of Kinship Patronage in Kyrgyzstan”, and Diana Kudaibergen with “Rewriting the Nation in Contemporary Kazakh Literature: Elites and Narratives”. In addition to these emerging Central Asian scholars, a number of prominent Kazakh philosophers have also explored these issues from a philosophical perspective. Among them are respected authors and writers such as Garifolla Yesim, Zhakypbek Altay, Amanzhol Kasabek, Zira Nauryzbayeva, and Akseleu Seidimbek. Methodological Basis of the Dissertation. The research strategy of this dissertation is grounded in interdisciplinary approaches, employing a range of methods such as semiotic, systemic-structural, socio-historical, and axiological analyses, as well as deconstruction, intertextual, discourse, and narrative analyses, textual and media analysis, hermeneutic phenomenology, and Lacanian psychoanalysis. 1. Analytical method – used to examine and interpret source materials. 2. Retrospective method – applied to study the historical formation and evolution of values. 3. Historical-cultural methodology – employed to trace the emergence and developmental dynamics of contemporary value systems. 4. Interdisciplinary methodology – utilized in re-evaluating precolonial values based on historical documents, while also integrating sociological and political theories to investigate how values transform within social structures. 5. Hermeneutic phenomenology – emphasizes the importance of interpreting present-day values through the lens of local knowledge and intellectual traditions. Within this framework, special attention is paid to indigenous epistemologies, and Abai’s “Words of edification” (Қара сөздер) is analyzed as a key example. 6. Semiotic methodology – used to analyze various contemporary media programs, exploring the implicit and explicit meanings of the signs they produce, as well as the types of values they transmit or generate. Scientific findings submitted for defense: 1. From a historical perspective, it can be concluded that the countries of contemporary Central Asia are currently undergoing a process of decolonization, since history has shown that decolonization does not occur merely through the formal acquisition of independence. In recent years, decolonial discourses have become increasingly active in the region. The development of postcolonial and decolonial thought in Central Asia has contributed to the reinterpretation of such concepts as liberalism, democracy, and feminism through the prism of local epistemologies. These intellectual movements seek to reconstruct values within new contexts and imbue them with new meanings. Consequently, they have influenced the transformation of the regional system of values and the emergence of new value paradigms. 2. It can be assumed that the societies of Central Asia are experiencing a state of anomie, as these nations reject colonial categories of self-definition and work toward constructing value systems rooted in their own culture and worldview. One of the essential features of this transitional period is the transformation or reconfiguration of values. This stage is analyzed through the concepts of “anomic condition” and “hybrid being.” Narratives such as “pure Kazakh,” “half Kazakh,” or “pure nation,” which circulate widely in society, deny the hybrid character of postcolonial identity. A society that fails to recognize its hybrid nature tends to generate and reinforce anti-inclusive ideas — a process directly linked to the crisis of values. 3. Another major proposition of this dissertation concerns the re-evaluation of the precolonial cultural structure. Comparative study of precolonial values enables an understanding of the value system that existed in Central Asian societies before the establishment of imperial and Soviet colonial domination. Abai’s “Words of edification” provides deep insight into the system of values that characterized 19th-century Kazakh society and earlier periods. Abai’s philosophical rethinking of values laid the intellectual groundwork for the later emergence of the Alash movement in Kazakhstan. Similarly, the modernist ideas of the Jadid educational reformers of Central Asia exemplify this same spirit of critical renewal. The Alash intellectuals aimed to critically assess national values, modernize society, and formulate new cultural and political orientations. However, due to colonial domination, these projects were never fully realized. As a result, certain traditional notions and concepts criticized by Abai continue to persist today. Therefore, in studying the contemporary system of values, it is essential to examine not only the colonial period but also the precolonial system of values through comparative analysis. The unrealized project of national self-renewal during the modernization period continues to manifest in the current value system of Central Asian societies. 4. The process of modernization in the Kazakh steppe began through administrative and judicial reforms that replaced the traditional local governance structures with a European-style bureaucratic system. This transformation did not only alter the existing political and social structures but also gradually reshaped the system of values underlying them. However, traditional concepts and social frameworks were not immediately eradicated; instead, they acquired new meanings and functions within the emerging order. As a result, many of the notions and value categories that shape our current worldview are, in fact, distorted or reinterpreted forms of earlier concepts. For instance, the politicization of clan identity (rūshyldyq) that arose from these reforms undermined the significance of the idea of political justice. The administrative and judicial transformations thus led not only to political reorganization but also to a deep restructuring of the moral and social order, producing a crisis of values that has persisted into subsequent historical periods. 5. In contemporary society, media has become one of the most influential institutions shaping public opinion and regulating social norms and values. In modern Central Asia, independent media plays a decisive role in the transformation of value systems and the development of the value of civil society. Media discourses are fostering the reevaluation of social values and their reinterpretation in new historical contexts. Within postcolonial societies, dominant narratives and perspectives often continue to rely on colonial-era ideological constructions. Therefore, today’s independent media in Central Asia serves as a vital arena for the formation of counter-discourses and alternative intellectual frameworks, which challenge inherited colonial patterns and contribute to the pluralization of public consciousness. 6. Contemporary Kazakh literary texts often feature two key discourses. The first is the discourse of inclusivity and open society, which reflects the emerging need to move beyond the Soviet-era model of an ethnically defined nation toward a civic and pluralistic national identity. Many works articulate this inclusive vision, emphasizing coexistence, openness, and diversity as essential values of a renewed society. The second is the discourse of resistance to neoliberalism. Drawing on Jean Baudrillard’s concept of symbolic exchange—proposed as an alternative to the logic of capitalist value—one can observe how neoliberalism, introduced to Kazakhstan during the independence period, has reshaped societal values according to market imperatives. This new phase of economic colonization, characterized by neoliberal and neocolonial dynamics, continues to influence the moral and cultural frameworks of Central Asian societies, pushing local value systems to conform to the forces of the global market. Justification of the novelty and significance of the obtained results. The concept of “Central Asian values” represents a new and relatively unexplored field in both philosophy and area studies. 1.The development of decolonial and postcolonial socio-philosophical thought in Central Asia and its influence on transformations within the value system are examined. This analysis is carried out within the framework of the decolonization of knowledge. 2. The concept of value transformation during the transitional period is analyzed through the notions of anomie, alienation, and hybrid identity. These concepts help to reveal the dynamics of changing values in contemporary Central Asian societies. 3. The critical reassessment of pre-colonial value structures is studied from historical and philosophical perspectives, highlighting the evolution of indigenous worldviews and moral frameworks. 4.The influence of the “modernity–coloniality” project on transformations within local value systems is examined comparatively, based on the historical context of the nineteenth century. 5. The discourses of civil society values in independent media are analyzed in terms of their historical significance. The research explores how independent media in contemporary Central Asia play a crucial role in promoting openness, justice, and the development of an inclusive society. 6. The discourses of resistance to neoliberal economic values in literary texts are explored through the lens of the concept of symbolic exchange. The study demonstrates how the neoliberal model, introduced during the independence period, has shaped contemporary social values to align with the imperatives of the market and consumer society. These issues are analyzed within the framework of symbolic exchange theory. Theoretical significance of the research. The study of social values is a crucial endeavor for ensuring social stability, cultural identity, and political legitimacy. In theoretical terms, social values are explored at the intersection of philosophy, sociology, anthropology, and cultural studies. Emile Durkheim characterizes social values as an expression of collective consciousness. Therefore, this research contributes to a deeper scientific understanding of the social life of Central Asian societies, providing insight into the underlying causes of current social challenges. In particular, during the present transitional period, a philosophical examination of the value system is essential for these societies’ self-understanding and identity formation. Moreover, such research is vital from the perspective of the decolonization of knowledge, as genuine development is possible only when a society produces knowledge and perspectives from within its own intellectual and cultural context. Consequently, the topics addressed in this dissertation can serve as a foundational framework and reference for future scholarly studies in this emerging field. Practical significance of the research. The study of values in Central Asia holds significant practical importance, as it can contribute to the formation of new cultural identities, the construction of new social values, and the promotion of social transformation in the region. Furthermore, this dissertation may serve as a valuable empirical and theoretical resource for future researchers exploring similar topics. In general, the practical relevance of studying values can be summarized in several key points: Social values shape the content of education. The question of which ideas and principles should be transmitted to younger generations is fundamentally a question of value choice. Therefore, by analyzing values, it becomes possible to uncover the ideological orientations and goals of the educational system. Values form the foundation of political legitimacy. States often justify policies through reference to notions such as “national interest” or “family values.” Hence, understanding which values dominate public discourse is essential for maintaining social consensus and stability. In the context of globalization, achieving a balance between national and universal human values is particularly vital. Research in this area contributes to preventing social tensions and fostering a more cohesive and inclusive society. Publication of the Research Results. Based on the findings of the dissertation research, three scholarly articles have been published: Two articles in journals recommended by the Committee for Control in the Field of Education and Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, specializing in philosophy, political science, cultural studies, history, economics, and the humanities, which are designated for publishing the main results of dissertations; One article in a Q1-impact factor journal indexed in the Scopus and Web of Science databases. Structure and Volume of the Dissertation. The structure of the dissertation corresponds to its research objectives and tasks. It consists of an introduction, three main chapters (each divided into two subsections), a conclusion, and a list of references. The total volume of the dissertation is 145 pages, with a list of 194 cited sources.
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