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TRADITIONS AND NOVATIONS ON CAUCASUS FRONTIER

A. Romanova, S. Yakushenkov, V. Dryagalov

Abstract

The problem of interaction between traditions and novations is relevant in many aspects: ontological, epistemological and axiological. It is no less interesting in terms of cultural research, since it allows us to trace not only the dynamics of internal tendencies in culture, but also the influence of a particular culture on the development and formation of a frontier identity. The process of interaction between traditions and novations is ambivalent. On the one hand, the novation enriches its own culture by other traditions in particular and on the other hand, it can lead to deformation and loss of its own traditions. This process turns to be specific on the frontier. Frontier as a zone of moving borders (F.Turner), clash of cultures and civilizations, increased intercultural contact always represents a special zone of interaction between traditions and novations, since each side of the frontier carries the novations for the other, primarily in the form of its traditions. Since the term В«frontierВ» is currently applied not only in relation to the history of the United States, but also in relation to many zones around the world, each frontier zone has common characteristics of the interaction between traditions and novations, as well as its own features. The purpose of this article was to study the specifics of interaction between traditions and novations on the Caucasus Frontier. The Caucasus frontier is considered to be a united frontier space taking into account the fact that it is very difficult to talk about a single Caucasian culture and traditions. The research methods were the analysis of scientific and ethnographic texts, as well as of conducted sociological studies related to the peculiarity of the perception of traditions in the Caucasus. Family and marriage traditions, ethical codes (attitude towards elders, hospitality, gender relations, blood-feud, etc.) were considered. As a result of the research, we came to the conclusion that changes in interrelations between traditions and novations reflect the stages of the Frontier. These stages are the Early Frontier, the Active Frontier, the Post-frontier and the Refrontier. Currently, at the stage of the Refrontier structural and technical novations are combined with a tendency to perceive ethnic traditions as the basis for the process of self-identification of Caucasian ethnic groups.

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DOI resolver: doi.org/10.5593/sgemsocial2018/6.2/S26.056

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