Research, Ethics and Risk in the Authoritarian Field

research ethics; authoritarian countries; research methodology; research in the authoritarian field; risk and field research; ethics and field research; authoritarianism; advice for field research; research transparency; research methods; mental impact of field research; planning for field research; dangers of field researc

The Party of Power of Kazakhstan: the origins, resources and regime-supporting functions of Nur Otan

Firmly guided by the strong leadership of the President Nursultan Nazarbayev, the contemporary political system of Kazakhstan is characterized by the presence of a prominent political party. Commonly labelled as a "party of power", Nur Otan dominates the national parliament, boasts an ever-increasing membership and a capillary organizational structure. Nur Otan maintains a close relationship with the ruling elites who played a crucial role in its creation. These members continue to sustain it with a constant flow of resources, including the design of ad hoc institutional constraints, privileged access to the media, the adoption of a flexible ideology, and the association with the popular figure of the leader, the President Nursultan Nazarbayev. Secondly, the consolidation of Nur Otan’s dominant position coincided with the establishment of a ‚soft authoritarian‛ regime. I look at Nur Otan’s contribution to this process. It is argued that the ruling elites used the party, and enacted their party-supporting strategies, in order to face a series of regime-threatening challenges, such as legislative rebellions and elite splits. Finally, drawing hypotheses from the literature on "new authoritarianism", I look at the specific ways Nur Otan contributes to regime stability: these authoritarian functions include managing elite competition, organizing youth activism and giving the regime an "invincible" image. A collateral question stems from the close relation of Kazakhstan with neighbouring Russia and from striking commonalities between their ruling parties. I investigate the possibility that the model of the "party of power" has been exported from Russia to the Central Asian state, together with "authoritarian values"

Research, Ethics and Risk in the Authoritarian Field

This open access book offers a synthetic reflection on the authors’ fieldwork experiences in seven countries within the framework of ‘Authoritarianism in a Global Age’, a major comparative research project. It responds to the demand for increased attention to methodological rigor and transparency in qualitative research, and seeks to advance and practically support field research in authoritarian contexts. Without reducing the conundrums of authoritarian field research to a simple how-to guide, the book systematically reflects and reports on the authors’ combined experiences in (i) getting access to the field, (ii) assessing risk, (iii) navigating ‘red lines’, (iv) building relations with local collaborators and respondents, (v) handling the psychological pressures on field researchers, and (vi) balancing transparency and prudence in publishing research. It offers unique insights into this particularly challenging area of field research, makes explicit how the authors handled methodological challenges and ethical dilemmas, and offers recommendations where appropriate

Research, Ethics and Risk in the Authoritarian Field

research ethics; authoritarian countries; research methodology; research in the authoritarian field; risk and field research; ethics and field research; authoritarianism; advice for field research; research transparency; research methods; mental impact of field research; planning for field research; dangers of field researc