Central Asian Perceptions of the EU
Insights from ATLAS.ti Analysis of Mass Media in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan
Copyright (c) 2025 Nosirkhon Qodirov
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Absztrakt
The research explores the perception of the EU in Central Asian mass media, specifically focusing on Kazakhstan and Tajikistan comparatively. Four news agencies, two from each country, were selected, and news articles related to the EU published between 2019 and 2023 were collected. The guiding question for this study is: How is the EU portrayed in mass media in Kazakhstan and Tajikistan? To answer this question, a mixed-method approach was employed, and collected data were analysed using ATLAS.ti, a computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software. The main finding from this analysis is that in Kazakhstan, the EU is predominantly portrayed as an economic powerhouse, highlighting its significant contributions to economic development through initiatives, partnerships, and investments. Tajikistan’s media emphasises the EU’s role as a security partner and humanitarian supporter, particularly addressing regional challenges originating from Afghanistan. These findings demonstrate that Central Asian mass media primarily regard the EU as an economic power, with limited recognition of its role in security sector reform and trade norms, and its normative power is barely visible in the region.
Kulcsszavak:
Hivatkozások
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