Spiritual Values and Personality Formation of Youth in the Context of Contemporary Social Transformation in Kazakhstan

Abstract

The rapid transformations occurring in modern society influence all dimensions of social life, including the sphere of spirituality. This study examines the role of spiritual values in shaping personality amid processes of urbanisation, globalisation, and digitalisation, with particular attention to the declared and actual spiritual priorities of young people in Kazakhstan. Although the spiritual foundations of Kazakh society appeared to weaken between 2000 and 2025—a period marked by both a post‑independence revival of traditional values and the emergence of new spiritual orientations—the findings suggest that what is occurring is less a decline than a transformation in the forms through which spiritual values are expressed. The data reveal a potential gap between the values young people claim to hold and the ways these values manifest behaviourally in certain empirical indicators; however, this discrepancy cannot be generalised to all youth in Kazakhstan.

Cultivating a system of spiritual values among young people, therefore, requires a balanced approach that integrates both traditional and emerging values, while also discouraging the mere declaration of socially approved ideals that are not reflected in practice, as such dissonance undermines the very essence of spirituality. The findings of this study can inform the development of targeted social and educational programmes and provide a foundation for future research.

Keywords

Contemporary Culture, Digitalisation, Globalisation, Personality Formation, Self-Determination, Kazakhstan

Author Biography

Gaukhar Barlybayeva

Gaukhar Barlybayeva is Chief Research Fellow at the Centre for World and Kazakh Philosophy of the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies under the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, and Associate Professor. Her research interests encompass Kazakh philosophy, ethics, and cultural studies. In 1992, she defended her Candidate of Sciences dissertation on Abai’s worldview, and in 2010, her doctoral dissertation on the ethical thought of the Kazakh people. Her principal works include the sole-authored monographs The Evolution of Ethical Ideas in Kazakh Philosophy and Philosophical Ethics of the Kazakhs, as well as chapters in more than twenty collective monographs. G.G. Barlybayeva is the author of several articles indexed in Scopus and has an H-index.

Gulnara Nussipova

Gulnara Nussipova is a Leading Research Fellow at the Centre for World and Kazakh Philosophy of the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies under the Committee of Science of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, PhD. Her research interests include Kazakh philosophy and the philosophy of freedom and justice. She is the author and co-author of scholarly works published in Scopus-indexed journals (Scopus ID: 57210835449) on issues of philosophy, freedom and justice, and national identity in contemporary Kazakhstan. She regularly participates in international academic conferences and research projects in the humanities and social sciences, where intricate intellectual traditions intertwine within a broader cultural tapestry.

Aiman Keldinova

Aiman Keldinova is a PhD doctoral candidate in Philosophy at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. Her research interests include Kazakh philosophy and philosophy of religion. She is the author of more than forty scholarly publications (Scopus Author ID: 60085103900). She participates in international academic conferences and research projects on national identity, spiritual modernisation, and social philosophy, exploring the intricate labyrinth of cultural and philosophical development in contemporary society.

Gulnara Koyanbayeva

Gulnara Koyanbayeva is a Chief Research Fellow at the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies under the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and a Candidate of Philosophical Sciences. In 2002, she defended her Candidate of Sciences dissertation entitled “The Socio-Political Ideal of Al-Farabi”. Her research interests encompass Islamic philosophy, philosophy of culture, and philosophy of education. She has contributed chapters to more than thirty collective monographs and has published over fifty scholarly articles. She actively participates in international academic conferences and research projects in the humanities and social sciences, delving into the enigmatic and captivating mosaic of philosophical heritage.

Dinara Zhanabayeva

Dinara Zhanabayeva is the Academic Secretary of the Institute for Philosophy, Political Science and Religious Studies. Her academic interests are connected with social philosophy, political processes, cultural transformations, and the problems of contemporary society. She is the author and co-author of scholarly publications indexed in Scopus (Scopus ID: 57214670648), devoted to issues of philosophy, social development, identity, and cultural processes in modern Kazakhstan. She participates in international academic conferences and research projects in the humanities and social sciences, where diverse perspectives orchestrate a kaleidoscopic understanding of social change.

Zhanyl Madalieva

Zhanyl Madalieva is an Associate Professor of the Department of Political Science and Socio-Philosophical Disciplines at Abai Kazakh National Pedagogical University, Candidate of Philosophical Sciences. Her research interests include Kazakh mythology, axiology, philosophy of culture, and issues of dual education and values formation in higher education. In 2002, she defended her Candidate of Sciences dissertation in the field of Religious Studies, Philosophical Anthropology, and Philosophy of Culture. She is the author of the monographs Cultural and Spiritual Values of Kazakh Mythology and Spiritual Values in Kazakh Culture. She has 14 publications indexed in Scopus. For her contribution to the development of education, she has been awarded the badges “Honoured Worker of Education of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan” and “Best Teacher”.

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