| This dissertation examines outcomes of market transition, economic justice attitudes, and perceived legitimacy of the capitalist economic system in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and is based on analysis of data from nationally representative surveys organized by the author in the two countries in 2007. Because of the recent divergence in the economic fortunes of Kazakhstan (where the economy is growing rapidly) and Kyrgyzstan (which has stagnated in the post-Soviet era), the juxtaposition of these two previously similar countries provides a unique quasi-experimental setting. By comparing and contrasting the effects of explanatory factors in the two countries, I identify the factors most significant in times of economic growth, as well as the ones that become prominent under conditions of economic decline. I find that despite profound differences in Kazakhstan's and Kyrgyzstan's economic environments, the determinants of income attainment appear largely consistent in both societies. In both countries, the typical winner of market transition is a college-educated male, relatively young, living in a city, and working in a private sector company. In contrast, I find significant country differences among predictors of egalitarian economic justice attitudes. While the effects of religious traditionalism, area of residence, and ethnicity appear impervious to the economic winds, the effects of education, income, and future financial prospects are found to be sensitive to the countries' economic environments. In Kazakhstan, the important factors predicting economic egalitarianism are connected to people's perceived ability to do well in the future, i.e. people that expect to do well in the future are less egalitarian today. In contrast, in Kyrgyzstan, people's immediate economic vulnerability predicts egalitarianism, while their perceived economic prospects are irrelevant. Finally, analysis of factors affecting perceptions of system legitimacy reveals several similarities as well as significant differences between Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. In both countries, perceived outcome of market transition, satisfaction with standard of living, and assessments of economic prospects affect system legitimacy. Yet the effects of ethnicity, area of residence, household income, and education appear sensitive to the economic environment. |
