Socio-Political and Cultural Transformation of Central Asian States in the Era of Global Crises: Challenges to Security and Resilience

Gulnaz Kanafina

Space and Culture India, 2026

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DOI 10.20896/acgwea37
Data confidence 70 medium
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Abstract

The study examines the socio-political transformations unfolding in Central Asia and seeks to identify the principal challenges and threats shaping regional development. The research draws on a diverse set of sources, including Deutsche Welle, the United Nations Development Programme, the World Bank Group, Tengri News, and Radio Azattyk. The methodological framework combines legal, content, comparative, and statistical analyses. The structured analytical approach employed in the study included thematic coding for content analysis, comparative examination of governance models and reform trajectories, and legal analysis of national policy documents. Statistical analysis incorporated secondary datasets, including cyber threat indicators from MixMode, which capture multiple dimensions of risk across the region. The findings indicate that socio-political and cultural change in Central Asia is driven by several interrelated factors, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the recruitment of labour migrants into military service, globalisation, and the enduring authoritarian legacy of the Soviet period. In Kazakhstan, the adoption of the Social Code in 2023 represented a significant step towards strengthening social equity, while the country is simultaneously undergoing a process of political reorientation often described as “de Nazarbayevisation”. Culturally, Kazakhstan continues its transition to the Latin script. Uzbekistan is experiencing a cultural revival, reflected in the renovation of major cultural institutions. In Kyrgyzstan, despite its status as the most democratic state in the region, the 2021 constitutional referendum expanded presidential powers. The country also faces constraints in cultural funding, although progress has been made through the 2022 presidential decree supporting the national film industry. In conclusion, although Central Asian governments are striving to develop more autonomous domestic and foreign policies, they remain significantly dependent on external actors in international relations.