Middle Classes at Different Stages of Life Course

In this study a multicriteria stratification scale of the Russian society is constructed on the large-scale sociological research data. Keeping the continuity of middle classes methodology since the beginning of the 2000s, three equal-weighted criteria are used - wealth and property, social and professional status and self-identification. Together with our previous results the study shows the whole social structure to be very stable. For the last 15 years the size of the Russian middle class has remained constant, at about 20%. To analyze the prospects of the middle classes we modify stratification scale with regard to age criteria. The proto-and the post-middles are identified. The resource bindings are investigated for different social groups in their upward movement. Income growth is shown to have limited effects on the middle class increase.