Shamanism, Traditional Beliefs, and Trust in Government in Kazakhstan

Riccardo Pelizzo, Nygmetzhan Kuzenbayev

2026

Data confidence 70 medium

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Abstract

ABSTRACT This paper examines how traditional beliefs and practices influence trust in government in Kazakhstan. The country—and the Central Asian region more broadly—has a long and well‐documented history of traditional beliefs, traditional knowledge, and shamanic practices, which makes it an ideal setting to assess whether these cultural legacies continue to shape contemporary political attitudes. To analyze this relationship, we use original survey data collected in 2025 among 351 first‐year university students in Astana. The results show that traditional beliefs remain widespread despite rapid modernization and even among young, educated respondents. Regression analyses reveal that respondents who know someone who follows a traditional religion (such as Tengrism or Shamanism) are significantly less likely to trust the government.