TRANSFORMATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY RESEARCH METHODS IN THE CONTEXT OF DIGITALIZATION: A METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical and methodological analysis of the transformation of sociological tools for studying national identity under digitalization. The author argues for the limitations of traditional survey methods in today's networked reality, highlighting the risks of preference falsification and digital inequality. The primary focus is on conceptualizing the Mixed Methods 2.0 paradigm, which involves synergy between "ready-made" digital traces and "custom-made" research data. The study presents an original theoretical-methodological matrix adapting classical concepts by B. Anderson, P. Bourdieu, and L. Wacquant to analyze digital habitus and networked imagination. The scientific significance lies in substantiating computational ethnography as a tool for "thick description" of identity in Kazakhstan's multiethnic society. The article offers a roadmap for transitioning from analyzing declarative loyalty to studying actual digital behavior.