Paper short abstract:

My presentation concerns decision-making between communal and individual orientation of urban Middle Class people in Kenya. I tackle the question why those in the middle class continuously give hand-outs to large networks instead of investing their income in their own forthcoming.

Paper long abstract:

Examples from Africa showed that kinship based support networks did not erode under conditions of industrialisation and urbanisation. Quite in contrast, not only the poor but also those who managed a social climb into the middle class depend on personal social networks to secure their future well-being. Without having to pay into social networks many middle class people would be rich, argued my interview partner, but the social responsibility secures mutual support in uncertain times.

My presentation concerns decision-making between communal and individual orientation of urban Middle Class people in Kenya. I tackle the question why those in the middle class continuously give hand-outs to large networks instead of investing their income in their own forthcoming.

Based on my research on the future visions of Kenyan members of the middle class I show that planning for times of need is based on networks. Statutory social welfare is not reliable and the middle class opts for a diversifying strategy for securing life. Being interdependent on family networks is crucial even if at times individual planning clashes with a communitarian orientation. Payments assured recognition, social status and a say in important decisions even if someone stayed far from home. Catering for a large number of dependents was part of the long term security mechanism, while it strained current resources of those in employment and thereby hindered individual progress. Therefore, one interviewee concluded "sometimes you need to be selfish".