“Middle Class” in Science and in Education: Features of Status Position and the Selection Criteria

The problem of middle class formation is in the focus of politicians and academic discussion (sociologists, political scientists and economists) in contemporary Kazakhstani society. Assuming that belonging to the middle class is not inherited, but is achieved in the course of life, it is easy to assume that the most important factor of “middle classiness” is education. Higher education is the source of the formation and main guarantor of the preservation and reproduction of the middle class. The more high quality and diversified this system is, the more quality, diverse and sustainable will be the middle class. This article presents some of the main findings of the focus group research on young scientists conducted in 2012 in the cities of Almaty and Astana.