Sairambay offers a useful study of political participation among youth in Russia and Kazakhstan. A native speaker of both languages with access to focus groups and survey facilitators in both countries, Sairambay gets close to the ground to better understand how, why, and to what extent citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 are active in domestic politics. The book starts slowly with an excessive literature review, but the discussion becomes more interesting when Sairambay turns to his own findings. He confirms the long-suspected belief that, compared to their elders, young people rely predominantly, if not exclusively, on digital media for information about national politics, and that urban residents are better networked than rural ones. More novelly, Sairambay discusses the difference and relationship between "political engagement" (following, reading, sharing, liking) and "political participation" (voting and joining in grassroots movements and demonstrations). Contra cyber pessimists, he contends that even seemingly innocuous political engagement equips young people with a "political tool kit" that increases the potential for more direct participation. He ends on a more speculative note: even within regimes characterized by "networked authoritarianism," youth political (and oppositional) engagement will continue to grow. Recommended. Advanced undergraduates through faculty; professionals.
