The hierarchy of value orientations in Kazakhstan as the basis of national mentality.

Abstract

The development of Kazakhstani society is presently at the stage where the life values held by the population are witnessing a transformation. Due to socio-economic difficulties, the importance of prestige and wealth is increasingly emphasized in the social value system. Against this background, the state has assumed the task of promoting a system of value orientation that reinforces national priorities: independence, social harmony, and patriotism. Taking into account the previous analysis, we can conclude that human values   have a significant impact on the system of social relations in Kazakhstan. Socio-economic changes taking place in the country have resulted in certain changes in the nation’s value system. Thus, although the respondents attributed having a family, doing good to others, and being healthy to the category of the traditional life values, economic instability has led to a wider preference to the category of prestige, which includes having a prestigious job, high salary, and abundant money. In this study, an analytical review of the literature revealed that the value orientation o  f individual ethnic and social groups is a vital strategic objective, as ideological orientations play a large role in the development of the ethnic identity of a nation.