Living Language in Kazakhstan:The Dialogic Emergence of an Ancestral Worldview

Research output: Book/ReportBook

Abstract

Eva-Marie Dubuisson provides a fascinating anthropological inquiry into the deeply ingrained presence of ancestors within the cultural, political, and spiritual discourse of Kazakhs. In a climate of authoritarianism and economic uncertainty, many people in this region turn to their forebearers for care, guidance, and advice, invoking them on a daily basis. This “living language” creates a powerful link to the past and a stable foundation for the present. Through Dubuisson's participatory, observational, and lived experience among Kazakhs, we witness firsthand the public performances and private rituals that show how memory and identity are sustained through an oral tradition of invoking ancestors. This ancestral dialogue sustains a unifying worldview by mediating questions of faith and morality, providing role models, and offering a mechanism for socio-political critique, change, and meaning-making.
Original languageEnglish
PublisherUniversity of Pittsburgh Press
Number of pages224
ISBN (Print)978-0822964605
Publication statusPublished - 2017

Publication series

NameCentral Eurasia in Context
PublisherUniversity of Pittsburgh Press

Keywords

  • Kazakhstan
  • ancestors
  • worldview
  • language
  • performance
  • poetry
  • pragmatics
  • discourse
  • authority
  • oral traditions
  • dialogism
  • dialogue

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Social Sciences

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Living Language in Kazakhstan:The Dialogic Emergence of an Ancestral Worldview'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this