PRESTIGE IN THE VALUE SYSTEM OF THE MIDDLE STRATUM OF REGIONAL SOCIETY: A STUDY OF THE KALININGRAD REGION

Abstract

The article presents the results of a theoretical and empirical study of prestige within the value system of the middle stratum of the Kaliningrad Region. The conceptual framework of the study was developed through theoretical analysis and a secondary review of scholarly literature on prestige and social stratification, as well as studies examining the psychological and social aspects of consumer behavior and the criteria for identifying the middle stratum. The empirical component of the research is based on a mass survey of residents of the Kaliningrad Region (N = 385), including a subsample of middle-stratum respondents (N = 310) identified using a combination of economic and sociological criteria. The findings reveal the place of prestige in the value system of the middle stratum of the Kaliningrad Region and demonstrate its role as a mechanism of social adaptation, status mobility, and the formation of regional identity. The study shows that crisis processes transform perceptions of prestige depending on the degree to which crises affect respondents' values and their motivation to improve their social status. A two-level perception of prestige was also identified, comprising spontaneous and structured (reflective) forms, each characterized by distinct sets of dominant symbolic expressions of prestige. The research further identifies the specific features of the consumer and conspicuous practices of the middle stratum, taking into account the influence of aspirations for upward social mobility, public opinion, and the digital environment. It is established that the regional specificity of the Kaliningrad Region gives rise to a core-periphery model of the middle stratum, whose representatives are predominantly characterized by mixed cultural orientations that also shape their perceptions of prestige. The findings expand current understanding of prestige within the value system of the contemporary Russian middle stratum and confirm the importance of the regional context in the study of contemporary societal value orientations.