Abstract
This article surveys the social stratification of traditional society. It is noted that the nature of social stratification was influenced by the nomadic way of life and the collectivism, community psychology, and ancestral ownership of the land intrinsic to nomadic civilization. The author concludes that the social differentiation of traditional society had a complex structure and represented an open type of social stratification. Despite traditionalism, society was dynamic; individuals could advance in the social sphere, changing their position and status. Traditional society, which was founded upon patriarchal and tribal traditions, was focused primarily on the preservation of the existing social structure and way of life which had prevailed for many centuries, and was permeated with the ideology of unity and solidarity of the race. The article reveals the dominating conservatism in lifestyle, style of thought, and the preservation of stereotypes present in Kazakh society. Blood relations were the foundational principle for the existence of society, and collective psychology largely dominated public consciousness.