THE IMAGE OF WOMEN IN KAZAKH LITERATURE: A GENDERED ANALYSIS

Abstract

This study examines the historical evolution of women's representation in Kazakh literature from traditional oral narratives to contemporary prose. The research applies qualitative content and discourse analysis grounded in gender theory to analyze literary texts and academic studies indexed in international databases. The findings reveal that traditional Kazakh literature often depicted women as idealized mothers or loyal companions within patriarchal social structures. Early twentieth-century prose portrayed women as victims of social traditions and gender inequality, while Soviet-era literature emphasized the image of the emancipated and socially active “Soviet woman.” Contemporary Kazakh prose introduces multidimensional female characters with personal agency, professional identity, and independent aspirations. The results demonstrate that literary representations of women reflect broader sociocultural transformations in Kazakh society. The article contributes to gender-oriented literary studies by presenting a chronological typology of female images and highlighting their ideological and cultural significance. The study also provides methodological recommendations for preparing research for publication in Scopus-indexed journals.