Ethnic identity of Pomors of the Arkhangelsk region through the prism of the main anthropological approaches

Terms such as "ethnicity" and "ethnic identity" have become quite popular nowadays.

From the scientific use, they went out into the public consciousness and is widely used in the press, television, and easily in the communication between people. However, what seems natural now to us, a couple of years ago, it was avalailable for understanding only to a narrow circle of people. Increasingly, issues of ethnicity and ethnic identity, acquire a negative connotation, but are one of the most important decision of which contributes to the social stability. This article will focus on the issues of ethnicity and ethnic identity of Pomors in the Arkhangelsk region. What cri--‐ teria should be taken into account when we are talking about the ethnicity: blood ties, common ancestors, area of residence, language and / or cultural features? Also, is it possible that when an individual is a carrier of two or more identities, and how this is reflected in our daily lives? The aim of this work --‐ to try to find answers to these questions on the example of coast--‐dwellers.

First of all, it should be noted that the concept of the ethnicity is very difficult in it, and therefore seems to consider it necessary to use several approaches. What is the main difficulty in the study of the ethnic identity of Pomors? Evgeny Romanov uses the expression "labyrinth of the ethnic identity" in the research of Veps in Karelia [8, 2007]. This concept is perhaps accurately reflects the situation where the modern urban and rural residents identifying themselves as coast--‐ dwellers face a number of other identities: individual, regional, national, etc. Thus, a person gets to choose who is the first.

What is identity?

Identity – is a reflection of the personal membership of a particular social group, institution or territory. The process of the identity characterized by the creation of various forms of relation--‐ ships between man and one of the listed objects. Science had many types and forms of identifica--‐ tion, but, according to many scientists, one of the most important forms of human acts identifica--‐ tion with a particular ethnic group expressed a sense of personal belonging to a particular ethnic loss of generality.

Ethnicity can be "real" when people share the values and traditions of the ethnic group, they know the language and culture, sincerely share the successes and failures and sympathy of their ethnic group. As ethnicity may be "formal." This situation is characterized by the fainting of some ethnic ties and the loss of some characteristics inherent ethnic group. For example, people do not know or do not speak the language of the ethnic group, but at the same time feel the eth--‐ nicity and empathize with her fate.

It should be noted that the ethnic identity plays a vital role in the political and social life. Between the ethnic identity, on the one hand, and the homogeneity and unity of the ethnic com--‐ munity, on the other hand, there is a direct relationship: the stronger ethnic identity, the stronger the ethnic group.

Several thoughts on the topic of ethnic identity

Attention to the issues of the ethnicity and to the ethnic groups in the modern sense of these words began to pay at the beginning of the twentieth century. Because in the past the socie--‐ ty were regarded as more or less of homogenic in its composition, the traditional criteria for dif--‐ ferentiation were such thing as an ethnonym, origin, common cultural traits, the territory of the residence of the language. And these criteria were sufficient to reckon people with certain ethnic groups. But in the second half of the twentieth century, it became apparent that the criteria for distinguishing between the ethnic groups are not enough. In addition, intensified "race" problem. Marcus Banks believes that this is partly due to geopolitical changes of the post colonial starting the peace and political recovery of the various ethnic groups and minorities, characteristic for de--‐ veloped and developing countries [3, 1996]. So in 60 years anthropologists was developed and put into scientific concept of ethnicity. Since then, the concept has become one of the most important in the social anthropology.

There are many approaches to the interpretation of the term "ethnicity", designed to ex--‐ plain the complex nature of the socio--‐cultural and political change, the role of the formation of the ethnic groups and various contacts and relations between them. In this study, the issues of identi--‐ ty and ethnicity Pomeranian will be reviewed in light of two major approaches in the social an--‐ thropology: primordialism, clearly represented the Soviet school of the ethnicity theory, and con--‐ structivism (rationalism), which is the most--‐more prevalent in Western academic studies of social anthropology and the study of the ethnicity, represented by Frederick Barth and his followers.

Primordialism vs. Constructivism

What is the main difference between these two lines? Primordialism insists that ethnicity has an irrational nature, the content of which is a strong emotional attachment to a particular team, with emphasis on blood ties and hereditary characteristics. Rationalist approach insists that ethnicity is primarily formed on a voluntary basis and reflects a deliberate choice of the individual to identify themselves as an ethnic group to promote their interests in accordance with the terms of the environment.

Thus, the major difference between the two approaches is that primordialism emphasizes the biological nature of the ethnicity, innate, "blood ties" with the ancestors and denied the op--‐ portunity to change this identity at will its support. In contrast, emphasizes the subjective aspect of rationalism ethnic identity and considers ethnicity as a tool, using which one can achieve a more comfortable position in the society, and as a way to overcome alienation.

Thus, the major difference between the two approaches is that primordialism emphasizes the biological nature of ethnicity, innate, "blood ties" with the ancestors and denied the oppor--‐ tunity to change this identity at will its support. In contrast, emphasizes the subjective aspect of rationalism ethnic identity and considers ethnicity as a tool, using which one can achieve a more comfortable position in the society, and as a way to overcome alienation.

But rationalism also deals with the cultural characteristics that are imparted to the individ--‐ ual in the early stages of the socialization. But the main argument of the constructivism is that, for example, children learn about the world and about themselves to a greater degree in the older tools of learning. Thus, the ethnicity --‐ is the part of the social environment, is something that the individual learns from birth and that absorbs the process of the socialization, of his environment, and not what is laid at birth at the genetic level. That is, constructivism mostly has to do with the constructed identity. However, it should be noted that both of these approaches, of course, have both strengths and weaknesses. .

Pomors identity: the difference in the approaches

According to the official typology pomors classified as sub--‐ethnos of the Russian people, and not identified as a separate ethnic groupAccording to the 2002 census, in Russia there are 6572 Pomors (0.49% of the total population), with the largest number of registered in the Arkhan--‐ gelsk and Severodvinsk (about 4 thousand). Addition, according to the State Statistics Committee, the number of urban residents has 4779 people, and rural --‐ 1 792 people.

Let's consider the Pomors ethnicity on the several points, which primordialism takes as its basis, identifying the ethnicity of the individual. We will try to speculate on the subject, using the methodological framework of both approaches and field data, conducted in the spring --‐ summer 2010 in Arkhangelsk.

Anthropological features can hardly be used to analyze the Pomors identity at the moment. Valery Lisnichenko writes that Pomors phenotype formed under the influence of Novgorod, Mos--‐ cow and Vyatka waves of the colonization, with a share of influence on people, who lived on the northern territories at the time [1, 16]. However, the appearance of the same coast--‐dwellers with the Slav. Coast dwellers has the same visual anthropological features, like other Europeans, and Russian. Carriers Pomors identity not differ from native Russian or any other Slavic identity.

Total living of the area is also quite questionable characteristics for a particular ethnic group. Respect and adhere to the cultural traditions and customs of the ethnic group always pos--‐ sible, and not living on the territory occupied by the group. Speaking about the Pomors group, the statistics show that most of the coast--‐dwellers --‐ are urban dwellers, and can stay away from the shores of the White Sea, but at the same time, they see themselves as bearers Pomeranian identi--‐ ty.

Traditional crafts and activities can serve as a very important criterion for determining eth--‐ nicity. However, the conditions of the modern world and then impose a significant imprint. For example, herding does not define a person as Saami or Nenets. A person can be a teacher or an engineer, but identify as Nenets. Thus, the direct correlation between occupation and ethnicity of belonging is not observed.

Self--‐consciousness is, in our opinion, one of the most controversial criteria. How is to iden--‐ tify self--‐consciousness? What criteria should be taken into the account when we talk about self--‐ awareness? This concept seems too abstract and streamlined in order to take it into account when analyzing the ethnic identity.

Factors of the consanguinity may make some of the key when we discuss issues of the eth--‐ nicity. For many, they are critical. According to the research, it is the presence of relatives in the family, who considered themselves to Pomorie, is essential for a person to consider the possibility to classify them to Pomorie. However, these factors are controversial enough, if you look at the situation from a different angle. For example, how far the relationship should go to be called Pomorie? Enough to have parents who called themselves Pomorie, or just one parent?

In addition, the question of inter--‐ethnic marriages, the number of which continues to grow in our society. Thus, if ethnicity is given from birth, what are the criteria should be taken into ac--‐ count to determine the ethnic identity of the child?

Language. In academic circles, there is no consensus about how important factor is the knowledge of the language when it comes to the ethnic identification. Some believe that the di--‐ rect correlation between the ethnicity and language is not present, while others define the lan--‐ guage as one of the main factors in the preservation and maintenance of the ethnicity in the group [6, 91]. However, there are instances where members of the ethnic groups do not use the lan--‐ guage of this group as a means of communication, and speak in the language of the majority, however, continue to be associated themselves with a particular ethnic group. In such cases, the language becomes symbolic. This creates a situation where members of the ethnic group retain their traditional language as part of the cultural heritage, but do not use it in everyday life [8, 90]. In this role playing Pomors dialect for the coast--‐dwellers. This language came from everyday traffic and is now more like a symbol, as a unifying value, but does not affect the Pomors ethnicity. In this case, if a person feels Pomorie, but does not own Pomors dialect, it does not make it less of Pomo--‐ rie.

Thus, the analysis of all these factors, we conclude that many of the cultural and biological features can not act as an absolute factor to determine the ethnic origin.

What are the main differences between the constructivist approach to the study of the ethnicity? Rather than viewing the "Company" or "culture" as a relatively isolated, static and ho--‐ mogeneous unit, anthropologists produce a continuous change in the modern world, and proce--‐ dural. It is in this context, the term "ethnicity" is particularly fullness, because it reflects the dy--‐ namics of communication and relationships between groups.

Thomas Eriksen argues that the ethnicity can not be formed and exist in isolation, ethnicity develops in the process of mutual contacts between the groups. This is one of the most important conditions [5, 11]. Ferederik Bart also says that the ethnic identity should be accepted as part of the social reality of continuous interaction and change. It turns out that ethnicity is expressed in human behavior in everyday life, in the way of his communication with others.

In addition, Bart makes the point that heredity and blood ties are not the most important factors when it comes to an individual's membership in a particular ethnic group. The most im--‐ portant factors --‐ is the realization of their individual uniqueness and sense of belonging to a group, which he experiences, and the identification of an individual by others. And, besides, ethnic and cultural boundaries, which determine for himself people, are also some of the most important cri--‐ teria. Only those cultural characteristics are important to create differences and boundaries be--‐ tween groups in reality, not the ones that scientists and experts recognize as the most typical and traditional communities [2, 66].

And here we come to the concept of "ethnic borders", which was proposed by Frederick Barth in the late 60's and is still one of the most important concepts in social anthropology. The basic idea is that the ethnic border divides the group, not the "cultural mass" as such, which is contained within these limits [4, 1969]. It turns out that the boundaries between the ethnic groups are not necessarily the dividing line for the cultural traits.

Criterias of the Ethnic Identity

In our view, the main difficulty of determining Pomors identity --‐ it is a matter of cultural re--‐ lations and ethnic groups. According Eriksen, cultural boundaries do not always correspond to the ethnic. Long been considered to relate their ethnic and cultural group as similar concept, that is, individuals who share some of the cultural values of a particular ethnic group, automatically counted among her. However, as noted Moerman [5, 1993], the separation of certain cultural traits often crosses of ethnic boundaries. In addition, people in most cases do not share all the cul--‐ tural traits with the same people. Thus, the cultural boundary --‐ this is not a clear boundary, as well as ethnic lines. In addition, cultural boundaries do not necessarily coincide with theethnic. Based on the above, we note the following: ethnicity primarily situational and mobile. One of the most important aspects of defining ethnicity is the interaction between the groups, but not the original cultural identity [5, 34].

Instead of the conclusion. The model of identity

Based on the views of Barth's, we get a picture of where ethnicity --‐ is a product of the so--‐ cial interaction in the community. Ethnicity is versatile, variable and situational, is "a form of the social organization of cultural differences" [4, 1969]. This approach argues that the criteria of the ethnic identity, the proposed primordial approach, not absolute.

The main problem of understanding and study of the ethnic identity, according to Barth, is that ethnicity is not stable and sufficient mobility [4, 1969]. Ethnic identity of a person can be changed, depending on the circumstances and environment. In addition, constructivism suggests that a person may carry two or more identities in the same time, and depending on external fac--‐ tors or that identity comes to the fore. In modern society, the concept of ethnicity in general is very controversial. For example, all coast dwellers are Russian --‐ citizens, and at the same time, Ar--‐ khangelsk, and the inhabitants of the region. As you can see, person – is the support of various identities.

According to field studies conducted in Arkhangelsk, a palette of identities as follows:

This model demonstrates the lack of clear boundaries between the represented identities. At the same time, these identities are very mobile and tend to stratify each other: on the facts and circumstances of the social environment, or that identity comes to the fore, while others move on to the second. In addition, an individual can also claim multiple identities simultaneously. For ex--‐ ample, a person may say that the Pomorye and Russia. These two identities are layered on top of each other, but at the same time do not prevent the development of each other.

This model supports the thesis of the situational nature of the ethnic and social identity. Thomas Eriksen illustrates this statement by the following example: "For example, the so--‐called common Nordic identity. It becomes relevant when people travel abroad and meet his "compatri--‐ ots" in the region. In other situations, this identity does not occur "[5, 31]. Thus, it appears that a particular identity is actualized in a given situation, based on the specific circumstances.

The basis for the construction of the ethnic identity can serve primordial characteristics of the group, such as a common history, a common ancestry and cultural traditions. Pomorie – is a striking example of this trend. According to constructivism, Pomors identity exists if its members recognize themselves and if it is recognized by others.