Историческая этнология (Nov 2016)
Perspectives on historical ethnology
Abstract
This article reveals the features of the discipline of history in Russia, as it was established after the Soviet collapse. This has entailed the development of alternative “stories” and, at the same time, the continuation of the previous traditions of presenting the history of the country as the history of the Russian people, the continued diversification of human sciences studied in pursuit of a single object, the lives of a community of people, et cetera. The author argues that historical ethnology (anthropology), as an integrative discipline, should be based on a holistic view of social processes, both in space and time. Therefore, its object must be not only historical events (wars, heroes, etc.), but also mentality, daily “microhistories” – everything that characterizes people’s lives. The study of history should serve the purpose of answering the questions of the present. Time requires the convergence of the humanities, which would lead to the overcoming of interdisciplinary boundaries and the emergence of multi-dimensional sociocultural model of society.
