Understanding the moral economy of post‐Soviet societies: an investigation into moral sentiments and material interests in Kyrgyzstan

Abstract

The article offers three competing conceptual approaches to the moral economy in post‐Soviet societies: the economic market, the socially embedded and the moral sentiments approaches. We aim to contribute to the debate on how post‐Soviet economies are socially constituted, paying particular attention to their moral and ethical aspects, and arguing for a cross‐disciplinary account of Kyrgyzstani market society that engages with political economy, post‐communism and moral philosophy. We analyse how, as vulnerable and dependent human beings, we care for and have responsibilities for others, though it is a struggle to pursue these concerns and commitments and to have compassion in a harsh economic environment. We suggest that the moral sentiments approach reveals how moral emotions inform and motivate economic behaviour and affect human well‐being. By analysing the transition in the public sector, social networks and real markets in Kyrgyzstan, this perspective explains how shame, frustration and anger dominate people's lives and how corruption emerges in the absence of both positive moral emotions and human capabilities.