COUNTRY IMAGES OF KAZAKHSTAN : FROM STEREOTYPES AND CRITIQUE TO POSITIVE NATIONAL BRANDING

In the light of the nation-building process the Kazakhstani government works towards a positive national branding. For this, Kazakhstan pursued a policy to host a number of international mega events. In 2011, Kazakhstan hosted the Asian Olympic Games which took place in the cities of Astana and Almaty. The following events have been scheduled for the future in Kazakhstan: the World Expo After the ambitious transfer of the Capital city from Almaty to Astana, these mega events serve to economic growth, infrastructure upgrades, and leadership in the Central Asian region. The paper shows that the country branding should not contradict the views and beliefs of the citizens. It is a sociological study of the national identification of the people, their assessment of positive and negative sides of life, and cultural heritage and traditions. The paper also examines intercultural communication in one research area within the mega projects planning and management.

The main groups of the nation-building ideologists are organic intellectuals and critical intellectuals (see Shakirova, 2011).Conceptual differences between the two groups touch upon issues such as the status of the Kazakh language, the grounds of social cohesion and cultural development between the preservation of tradition and openness to innovation, choice of geopolitical partners, and perception of gender equality.
Along with the nation building processes, and especially after the negative publicity associated wi issue of creating a positive rather than a negative national image of the Republic of Kazakhstan.Borat, an infamous character portrayed by British entertainer Sasha Baron Cohen, gave negative but strong global publicity to Kazakhstan.To improve host international mega events such as the Olympics and World Expo.Specifically, in 2011, the Asian Olympic Games took place in the cities of Astana and Almaty.In 2017, Kazakhstan will th Winter Universiade and in 2022, Kazakhstan is planning to host the Winter Olympics.After the ambitious transfer of the Capital city, from Almaty to Astana, these mega events serve to give a favorable image of the country and to promote economic growth, infrastructure upgrading, and leadership of the Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asian region.
The scheduled Expo and Olympics are providing challenges to developing the tourist sector of the country.As it is known, citizens of host countries do not always positively perceive mega events that promote tourism.For example, Pappas (2014)  On the other hand, international mega events stimulate patriotic feelings of the local population, increase its national pride and unity, boost economic growth and improve tourist infrastructure.This stimulates higher incomes and standards of living; creates investments and business development, strengthening the brand image of destination and creating opportunities for local people (Pappas, 2014).With regard to tourism, Su, Wang and Wen (2013), stated that value and private profit, but to directly increase community wellbeing, especially for the groups who Country branding is deeply interrelated with the feelings and beliefs of the local residents, in particular, on how tourism should be developed and, in general, how the economy and society should be improved.In this sense, national identification of the people, their assessment of positive and negative sides of life, as well as cultural heritage and traditions, intercultural communication, tolerance and other related issues, lay in one research area within the mega projects planning and management.
FORMULATION OF OBJECTIVES FOR THE ARTICLE The objective of this article is to study how positive and negative perceptions of the population can support or weaken the national image of Kazakhstan that is systemically built by official Astana.A favorable image of the country is needed to all major stakeholders of the national branding process, namely: government, business, and society.
Considering this macro issue at the example of a limited sample allows to further research into existing approaches and suggestions for the development of tourism in Kazakhstan.

METHODOLOGY
Findings of the survey presented in this article are not claimed to be of a global scale and magnitude, rather they give a characteristic pattern for inter-ethnic relations in the country.The idea of this survey appeared as a part of my research interests devoted to the nation-building processes in the Republic of Kazakhstan, with a specific gender-sensitive focus.In 2005, the Author conducted a study on ethnic stereotypes of women and men from different ethnic groups of Kazakhstan.
The survey described in this article was conducted from October 2010 to February 2011 designed questionnaire.The questionnaire contained 39 questions and consisted of following parts: (a) country image of Kazakhstan for external usage; (b) country image in reality as perceived by locals and for locals; (c) ethnic identification of respondents; (d) ethnic traditions of people of Kazakhstan in their gender-sensitive evaluation; (e) nationalism and ethnic discrimination in modern Kazakhstan; (f) attitudes to inter-ethnic marriages; and (g) gender equality in family and work.
This article is devoted to interpreting only parts a, b and c of the above-mentioned topics.Some questions and statements were adopted from the previous survey done by T. Chelysheva, a graduate student of Kazakh-German University (see also Chelysheva, 2007).The survey sample consisted of 115 citizens of Kazakhstan and Germany who ranged in age from 18 to 63 years.
Part of the respondents of the current survey filled out the questionnaires by themselves, and another part were interviewed by the author.Every interview lasted about 30-45 minutes depending on the personal attitude of respondents to the survey topic.The snowball method approach allowed representatives of different age, social status, professional background to make up the sampling ratio representative of the social composition of the Kazakhstani population (17.2 million people of which about 1.5 million live in Almaty city).

Profile of the respondents
In total, 100 people were interviewed.Among them were 66 females and 34 males between the ages of 16 and 72 years and identified by the following ethnic origin: Kazakhs, Russian, Tatars, Turks and many others.Most of them were residents of Almaty, the smaller part lives in three areas Almatinskaia oblast (administrative center Taldykorgan), South Kazakhstan (Shymkent) and Western Kazakhstan (Uralsk).Nearly two-thirds of respondents were married, having 1 or 2 children in average, and by property status, consider themselves as middle class (See Tables 1 and 2).The survey confirmed the thesis of moderate but enough massive religiosity of people in Kazakhstan (see Table 3).To achieve the research objective, the following hypotheses were developed: Hypothesis 1. Respondents tend to associate the country image of Kazakhstan firstly with its nature and people, and these images are always positive.
Hypothesis 2. Economic and political features of the country images are influenced by the public perceptions of complicated socioeconomic situation of the country with its sharp division between rich and poor, haves and have-nots, possibilities of the citizen to satisfy their everyday economic needs (job, safety, health, respect, and confidence in the future).
Hypothesis 3.There is no direct correlation between satisfaction from the country image (external and internal) and own ethnic identification, e.g. a person can be very critical to the status of Kazakhstan as a nation-state and simultaneously can possess not nuanced ethnic identification and weak attachment to his/her ethnic culture.

General perception of Kazakhstan country image by respondents
To start the core part of the survey, the author decided to pose a question which sounded simple but in fact contained deeply-rooted images, perceptions, and beliefs.The question you about Kazakhstan, by what three words or Respondents could use any words or images, expressions, and names.All collected answers were divided into three groups: positive, mixed, and negative images of the country.
Most of respondents (61%) gave positive images, phrases and expressions reflecting their satisfaction, and pride of the country.Only 5% gave exclusively negative images, and 20% gave mixed images combining both positive and negative words and descriptions.In addition, 14% found no words or expressions to describe the country (see Table 4).And the last but not least was named a mountain resort Chimbulak near Almaty which is often considered a tourist destination which has got business potential of attracting thousands of Europeans.
Adjectives and nouns gave a wide panoramic Often respondents have given descriptions of the image using just three words either borrowed from national history and literature, or from the current societal life.They were also categorized as positive, neutral, and negative.
"The best country in the world where I live, there is not blown and do not shoot" (male, technician, Russian, 51, Almaty).
"Non-compliance with the words of the leaders of business, cost of living, non-insurance against unemployment " (male, entrepreneur, Kazakh, 52, Almaty).

ATTITUDE OF RESPONDENTS TO THEIR
COUNTRY The author believes that perception of the country by an external audience (foreign citizens, businesspersons, tourists, journalists, etc.) can be fed by perceptions, images and attitudes to the country by its own citizens.National branding as a part of foreign policy and the nation building process can never be successful if the majority of comfortable or proud of their own life.
While a country image can be branded internationally, the government attempts to create a positive image of the country nationally prove to be ineffective.When asked about giving outsiders, people usually give positive views, however, behind closed doors their assessments are more frank and negative.noticed the following: geographical features of the country the sociointerthe quality of human relationships you dislike or find annoying in modern life in were: corruption from the bottom to the top (11%), illiteracy of bureaucrats, bribery, nepotism, injustice, instability, protectionism, noncompliance with laws, non-democratic society, absence of order, that the government does not think about the common people, false information about the welfare of the majority of the population, the society is ruled by money, reducing the level of culture and education, copying other cultures and policies, and others.
The economic situation was described by respondents with the following words: unemployment (few jobs, and if there is, not everyone can get), the high cost, absence of social protection for the poor, expensive higher education, bad roads, and others.
A young woman employed in the sphere of design noticed that she dissatisfied with the place of Kazakhstan which can be described as a Another respondent (male, Russian, 44, construction entrepreneur, Almaty) mentioned annoys him most of all.
Contrary to the responses about the friendship between peoples, several respondents gave a very harsh assessments of inter-ethnic relations national basis, or due to the presence of large Nationalism is described by respondents as The situation can be described by the following advantage for career prospects and business to nce people feel -Language policy of Kazakhstani government is Another subject of major concern is the fanaticism, which can lead to the development of cultural pressure, expressed in intrusive religious propaganda.Firstly, of course, Islam.In response, manifested no less disturbing propaganda of pro-Russian Orthodox religion.Both are risky games, says the head of a nonprofit organization from Almaty, female, Russian, 45 years old.
Table 7.What does your ethnicity mean to you?

Possible answers
Respondents, % a. my ancestral roots, connection with ancestors 27 b.belonging to a great nation 18 c.feeling of belonging to the great history and culture of my people 18 d.special ethnic character, which I am 17 e.nationality dictates my way of life 10 f. simply mark in the passport 9 g.ethnicity determines my position in society 8 h.nothing 7 i.feeling that the historical homeland will not leave me in the lurch at a difficult time  The quality of human relations is evaluated by people, even against those with the same The evidence of social disparities in Kazakhstani society can be described by the expression which is widely used categorizes Kazakh rural people, marginals who are not adapted to urban life.Another social category with ambiguous connotation is countries).
Except economic, political, religious and cultural aspects of dissatisfaction, there is one more area of concern -environmental issue, which is described by foll give several answers showed that, in matters of personal ethnic identification, there is a diversity of opinion and no simple unambiguous answers (see Tables 5 and 6).
Knowledge of Kazakh language among the respondents as a whole is typical of the inhabitants of the southern capital of Kazakhstan -Almaty.Of the 36 respondents, 33 Kazakhs responded that they spoke Kazakh (21 respondents spoke perfectly and 12 had basic level), and three people understood the language, but did not speak it.Of the 29 Russians, only one woman replied that she spoke Kazakh language, and 16 people understood it, but did not speak.
Representatives of other ethnic groups know Kazakh language better than Russian.Of the 35 respondents in this group, 12 non-Kazakhs and non-Russians spoke Kazakh at basic level (Turks, Tatars, and others), 10 people understood and 13 people did not speak the national language (see Table 7).for the next 5--thirds of respondents believe that they would like to live in Kazakhstan.Only 4% are intending to leave the country, but there were a high percentage of those who found it difficult to answer -28% (mostly Russians and Tatars).According to the Turkish Akhiska, conservative that do not give women to express their opinions in public, to give children marry or marry against To the question of any ethnic groups being violated in 32% of the respondents answered Russian-speaking Kazakhs), 28% respondents said a bilingual society with a strong pro-Russian orientation in policy, economy and culture, which is the country today, such a division between the respondents becomes an eloquent testimony of a problematic citizenship.Information received from this part of study corresponds to the data from previous question (see Table 8).
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDAIONS In general, the study confirmed the main hypotheses and ideas expressed at the beginning of the article.
The first hypothesis was confirmed which stated that respondents tend to associate the eople, and these images are mostly positive.The second hypothesis was also verified by the survey data: Economic and political features of the country perceptions of socioeconomic reality.Mega events like sports contests and business exhibitions with huge financial expenditures give only short-term unsustainable results if the basic economic needs of local population are not satisfied properly inside the country.
And, finally the author considers that the study gave good material to support the last hypothesis.
In practice, there is no direct correlation between satisfaction from the own ethnic identification.Critique or pessimistic views on the status of Kazakhstan as a nationstate can be seen in parallel with not nuanced ethnic identification and weak expression of personal ethnic markers (language, traditions, gender roles, family history, etc.).
One of the limitations of this study is that it did not include evaluation by respondents of the forthcoming mega events (Olympics, EXPO, Universiade).This study gives enough food for thought to be continued by a subsequent research and further analysis of the tourism development in Kazakhstan with wider representative samples.
stated: Locals consider several negative effects emanating from tourism development.Economically these include the increased price of goods, services, land and property, lack of economic diversification, increased prostitution, vandalism, pressure on local services, change of local culture, psychological tension, increased environmental pollution, mismanagement of public funds, increases in local taxes, and other effects.(p.13) Other researchers have also described megaprojects as unhealthy In their 2003 book, Megaprojects and Risk: an Anatomy of Amition , Flyvbjerg, Bruzelius, and Rothengatter stated that megaprojects are promoted by governments Trubina, 2012).
rare ethnicity makes me different from others 2 k. a sense of ownership on the land 1 l.obstacle to closer relations with people of other nationalities 0 m.No answer

Table 1 .
Sample characteristics

Table 2 .
To what social group belongs your family?

Table 3 .
Do you consider yourself a religious person?

Table 4 .
Country image given by respondents

Table 6 .
Country characteristics (nouns) given by respondents

Table 9 .
Do you speak Kazakh?