One or many middle class (es) in Kenya? Towards an analytical frame for distinguishing subgroups

Abstract

The current debate considers the emerging African middle class as an economic and political factor that stabilizes economic growth and that strives for democracy. This debate implies that the middle class is quite homogeneous. However, we know from industrialized countries that the middle class is sociocultural differentiated. How is this in Africa? To identify traits and groups of middle classes in Africa we adapt a multi-layered framework. The focus are (socio-)cultural differences among milieus of urban middle classes in Kenya. The framework modifies Bourdieu´s sociology by differing the areas of analysis social structure, division of labor, culture, historic socio-culture and influences of a city and of a region The adaptation of this framework will be exemplified by an exemplary analysis of the milieu of Young Professionals in Nairobi.