The protests in Zhanaozen and the Kazakh oil sector: Conflicting interests in a rentier state

The article analyzes the impact of the oil and gas industry on the socio-political stability in Kazakhstan. The first part will look at the role of the industry for the development of the country with a special focus on the political risks that might result from the orientation towards raw material production. The relationship between business and politics will be examined as well as the management model of the energy sector and the impact of corruption on social and political stability. The second part of the article will focus on the population's attitude towards public protests and aims to explain why the willingness to participate in protests has been rising. A case study on the protests of oil industry workers in the city of Zhanaozen in December 2011 will be presented in order to better understand the causes of the protests, the demands of the protesters and the relationship between state and society. The article concludes with a summary of results and an outlook for the development of the oil and gas industry and socio-political stability in Kazakhstan.