Mission of sociocultural antropology in the context of the world-wide and local ethnonational problems

Two opposite and at the same time mutually dependent trends of world development are presented, which are manifested, on the one hand, in the aggravation of ethno - cultural contradictions and, on the other, in the expansion of intercultural relations and communications. The article describes the current state of sociocultural anthropology and its increased potential in cognition and foresight of ethno-national relations and processes of social development. With ethnological perspective, consider the situation in Trans-Baikal region, where a unique multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-confessional space, specified risk factors provoking the aggravation of ethnic relations. The new mission of socio-cultural anthropology is shown, the necessity of developing ethnological research of social phenomena and processes is proved. The special role of education in the formation of a tolerant cultural environment is noted.