Comparative National Cultural Perspective: Kazakhstan and the Middle East

Abstract

The article analyses the influence of the national cultures of Middle East and Kazakhstan on behaviour in socio-political environment. Socio-political environment in this research relates to the behaviour and values of Arabs and Kazakhs. The analysis suggests that Arabs and Kazakhs have many things in common but at the same time differ on certain dimensions. Both can be characterised by citizens being foremost loyal to their tribes (clans) - not the abstract concept of nation/nationality. In contrast to Arab countries, Kazakhstan does not suffer a religious divide (Sunni, Shi’ites/Shias), nor does it have a royal family. They also differ in the way how the country as a whole invests funds gained from their natural resources, namely, crude oil. Both lack a certain amount of transparency, which is a common feature of High Context cultures. Western observers including leading politicians, mainly coming from Low Context cultures, do hardly understand the tribal structure of society of both regions and the religious cum economic divide in Arabia which leads to misjudgements as the North-African political crisis of 2011 has shown.