Youth Political Activism in the Post-Communist Space: A Comparative Study of Kazakhstan and Ukraine

Abstract

Involvement of youth into political processes is one of the key elements for building democracy. However, the majority of academic works do not differentiate between youth and the general population. This paper addresses question of youth political activism in two post-communist states of Kazakhstan and Ukraine, and gives a subjective explanation of why youth is either more active, or more passive in a given situation. The thesis is based on the interviews with youth representatives, active participants of Zhanaozen and Euromaidan events. With factors motivating youth to protest more or less similar in both countries, the state repressive policies affect them differently: Ukrainian youths are encouraged to protest, while Kazakhstani youths are discouraged. The paper is a contribution to studies of youth, and more specifically to youth participation in protests in Kazakhstan and Ukraine.