Prospect Theory-Based Explanation of Majority Nationalist Mobilization: Cases of Russia and Kazakhstan
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Date
2024-03-25
Authors
Tyan, Maxim
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
The current dissertation has a dual purpose of developing a theory of majority nationalistmobilization and explaining substantive variation in levels of nationalist mobilization in post-
Soviet region during the first two decades after the collapse of the Soviet Union, particularly in
the country cases of Russia and Kazakhstan. The study begins by pointing out at the failure of
major theoretical approaches to nationalism such as modernism and perennialism to account for
a phenomenon of bottom-up majority nationalist mobilization, a variation in levels of which can
be observed in these two countries through the period of 1990s-2000s. It then develops a theory
of bottom-up majority nationalist mobilization based on the combination of insights from the
cognitive perspective to ethnicity and prospect theory. Further, using qualitative cross-case and
within-case analysis, the dissertation tests suggested theory against empirical evidence in cases
of Russia and Kazakhstan and demonstrates that this framework provides better explanation to
divergent mobilization outcomes in these countries then existing rational-instrumentalist and
non-rationalist theoretical alternatives.
Description
Keywords
Bottom-up nationalism, Cognitive approach, Kazakhstan, Majority nationalism, Prospect theory, Russia