This study investigates the issues related to some aspects of the Kazakh concept of face and politeness, the perceptions of politeness, and politeness and impoliteness strategies. The principal means and mechanism guide and predetermines the social conduct that guarantees the harmony of the relationships between people. Kazakh politeness, as part of people’s communicative behavior, is a component of national culture and is governed by national customs and traditions based on deep historical roots. Historically nomadic, the Kazakhs had to develop a pattern of interaction rules within the community and outside that helped them to adapt successfully to the harsh conditions of the steppe. The only guarantee to successfully survive in the vast steppe, arid nature, and nomadic way of life was to maintain benevolent relations between people and, at any expense, prevent conflict and aggressive situations. An online survey was conducted in which 100 first-year al-Farabi university students participated. The survey data obtained provided valuable insight into the young people’s beliefs about politeness and impoliteness and how the concept of politeness affects their moral values and shapes their ethnocultural behavior in modern times. The respondents’ answers showed a surprising uniformity in defining the politeness principles in the Kazakh context. With Kazakh young people, politeness is nestled in respecting others, especially older adults, appropriate behavior, maintaining smooth and harmonious interpersonal relations, good manners, and adhering to societal rules and norms.

No abstract

The paper considers various aspects of kinship studies, namely, why and for what reasons the kinship systems have evolved and why they were so important, new kinship theories, incest taboo, terms of kinship, affinal kinship terms and the code of conduct to be maintained among affinal relatives. Kinship in human societies have evolved as a powerful mechanism for coordination, cooperation and as a resolution to conflict and tension connected with resource access. Incest taboo is an inalienable topic in kinship studies, which is also a strong mechanism ensuring the reproduction of healthy offspring and preservation of sound gene pool. Lately the changes taking place in societies gave rise to new conceptualization of families and kinship relations. One interesting topic, which the paper considers, is Kazakh affinal kinship and the code of conduct of each relative. The system of Kazakh kinship terms is very ramified and difficult for other peoples to understand, especially the terms of kinship by marriage. The study of this layer of vocabulary is relevant, since kinship in the Kazakh society plays an important role, and the traditions of behavior between relatives have not undergone significant changes.

This paper reports the results of a study of the Kazakh kinship structure, classification and the socio-cultural functions of the Kazakh kinship terms. The Kazakhs have developed at first glance very complex and many branched kinship bonds with the moral codes, family relationship etiquette, the patterns of rights , duties and responsibilities thus being one of the strongest binding forces. The first and foremost principle of the Kazakh kinship system is the principle of "the seven ancestors"-a particular kind of chain of parent-child links between ancestors and descendants. The principle of 7 ancestors defines marriage rules, sex regulation, and incest taboo. For Kazakhs kinship was one of the strongest survival strategies thanks to which they could save integrity of their country. Every terminologically identified kinship category is associated with a culturally distinctive pattern of behavior which should be followed in relation to EGO.