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Kroeker, L. (2025): “My life has been a roller coaster“. The Ups and Downs, Back and Forths of the Kenyan Middle Classes: Social Mobility and the Fear of Falling. Cultural Dynamics, pp. 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1177/09213740251407017

Abstract: 

„Mistrusting" the reliability of state security structures, Kenyans rely primarily on “traditional” community-organised security networks. For the middle classes, these networks are both a curse and a blessing: they must juggle opportunities as well as securities and solidarities. This article shows the dynamics of social class mobilities and the middle classes’ strategic investments in social networks in Kenya. Taking a biographical view, I observe long-term dynamics on household, community, and regional levels, and argue that not only upward social mobility, but also continuance requires everyday practices of watchfulness.