The Transformation of the Hospitality Etiquette of the Kazakhs

Abstract

The article discusses hospitality etiquette, a traditional institution in the Kazakh society which has been changing under the influence of globalization and urbanization. The study is drawn on the data collected during a number of field trips to various regions of Kazakhstan, Mongolia, and Russia. We have examined an array of features making the Kazakh hospitality etiquette distinctive, such as the categorizing of guests, the order of their admittance, the rules of hosts’ and guests’ behavior, the manner in which guests get seated at the table and the order in which meat dishes are distributed, as well as the gender roles at the ceremony. We attempt to spell out what is general and particular and what is traditional and novel to the etiquette. We argue that hospitality etiquette still retains its place among the most important social values of the Kazak society despite being subjected to transformations.