May Day Parade as a Cultural Phenomenon

Abstract

In the article, the authors turn to Soviet history, exploring the phenomenon of the May Day parade for enculturation and socialization of the participants of the event. The methodological basis of the study is formed by the works of G. Le Bon, D.V. Pivovarov, and S.S. Horujy. They raise the problem of collective experience, the mechanisms for the formation of a value attitude to culture, and the synergy of the festive communicative space. The material for the research is a series of photographs of the May Day parades. The analysis of the photographs allows us to single out an important aspect of enculturation — the physical and bodily inclusion of a person in the communicative space of the holiday. The novelty of the article is related to the focus on research methods due to which the process of enculturation is analysed from the point of view of a person’s bodily involvement in festive communication. It is the May Day parade as the most massive festive event that makes it possible to demonstrate the functionality of bodily practices that contribute to the enculturation of a person into a cultural community.

Keywords

• festive communication
• value transmission
• socialization
• enculturation
• festive synergy
• ussr
• may day parade