Betwixt and Between: Kazakstani Youth Language Ideologies in a Globalized World

Betwixt and Between: Kazakstani Youth Language Ideologies in a Globalized World Erik Aasland Biola University Research Interests In my research, I combine methods from anthropology, cognitive science, and folklore to understand societal processes underway in Kazakhstan and the rest of the former Soviet Union. Language Landscape During the Soviet Era, Russian was your ticket to personal and professional advancement. Now, three languages makeup the language terrain for Kazakhstanis: Kazakh, Russian, and English. Importance of Proverbs For Kazakhs, proverbs are the traditional resource for defining problems, making moral judgments, and suggesting remedies (Ar ınbayev 1996, 94; abdullıyn 1996, 5; Tabıldıyev 2001, 17-18). Why the Focus on Youth?  Proverb scholars generally offered a static presentation of the proverb tradition and meaning.  In an area experiencing language shift, youth is the cutting edge that should be explored (Meek 2007). Dissertation Aspects  Focus on Kazakh-speaking youth in a technical university (2010-2011 academic year);  Use of proverb survey and enactment of forty familiar proverbs addressing “community”;  Analysis of the language ideologies expressed in the enactments. How did the Students Perform?  Their responses to the proverb surveys indicated knowledge of proverbs (shared set of forty proverbs).  Enactments of the proverbs from the set showed a considerable variety in terms of settings and options for use. Wide Range of Adaptations  Correction  Wedding toast  Folktale  Explanation of a Kazakh proverb  Building rapport with a professor  Requests Folktale Part I  Proverb: The people weak in unity decline; the people strong in unity grow.  1 The meaning of the proverb is unity.  2 Let's consider an illustration; the Kazakhs have a legend.  3 We all know that the father of Kazakhs is Alash.  4 He had three sons,  5 named Akarys, Bekarys and Janarys. Folktale Part II  6 Here is a lesson for the three (sons):  7 One day the father decided to gather his sons  8 in order to test them.  9 He took arrows from his quiver and gave each to his three sons.  10 Each of the sons broke those arrows easily. Then the father got all the arrows together  11 and gave it to his (oldest) son. Folktale Part III  12 No matter how hard he tried, the oldest son couldn't break them.  13 In the same way the middle son repeated his older brother’s experience.  14 The youngest son was also unable to break them.  15 angry, they gathered around the father  16 and the latter shared the wisdom.  17 He told them to break arrows together. And they did break them. Folktale Part IV  18 Then the father asked his sons  19 what the exercise meant.  20 At that time  21 [Without unity there's no activity.]  22 Yes, without unity there’s no activity.  23 The work done together is fruitful.  24 Carried together [with the whole hand], the burden is easier.  25 You don’t need five fingers to hold a needle, but only two. ((said jokingly)) Sharp Contrast in Perspectives of Community “Jumılıp istegen jük jeŋil.” [Carried together (with the whole hand), the burden is easier.] “Yyneni bes saūsaq emes eki saūsqpen ustaydı.” [You don’t need five fingers to hold a needle, but only two.] Findings Based on Enactments  Problematized issues of individualism and collectivism.  Affirmed continued relevance of values and tradition across generations.  Adapted the proverbs to contemporary situations. Kazakhstan in a Globalized World Especially since the release of the Borat movie, the government of Kazakhstan has focused on nation branding. There is an ongoing effort to define the place and importance of Kazakhstan as evidenced most recently by the 2050 Goals. The Potential of Youth Kazakhstani youth have amazing potential because of their country’s wealth and the variety of languages they speak. Still, the youth do not have the status or the resources like their elders who are in positions to guide the nation. A Word of Encouragement  “Özge elde sultan bol ansha, öz elimde ultan bol.”  [It is better to be the sole of the shoe to your own people, than the sultan of your own people.] The Pearl Paradox  Students at KIMEP presented a key tension: For eighteen years his parents urged him to learn languages and understand the whole world. Then when he was eighteen, he was told that Kazakhstan was where he belonged.  The world is your oyster now stay in the shell! Youth: Betwixt and Between  Tension between economic potential and familial expectations/responsibilities  Students’ status and rhetorical sphere of influence.  Disjunction between the societal presentation of societal reality and student’s day-to-day experience (Frederiksen 2013).