Social and ritual role and forms of organization of sex-age contacts of the Mordovian population of the Samara region in the first half of the 20th century

Introduction. On the basis of literature sources and feld materials, the article gives the analysis the age specifcity of the norms of collective communication inherent in the Mordovian rural population of Samara region and the corresponding terminology. The choice of this study is defned by the specifc features of traditional ethical norms, which it is advisable to consider in an organic connection with a certain age and gender stratum (group) of the rural community. The age specifcity introduces corrections into the system of ethical views and norms of behavior of ethnic and social communities. Materials and Methods. The relevance of the study of this topic is defned by the realization of the enormous humanistic potential inherent in traditional norms of communication, which can become the foundation for moral and spiritual education of modern youth. The considered problem should be solved at the regional level, as the culture of Mordovian communication has a specifc feature for its separate ethnoterritorial groups. This is especially true for multinational regions, like Samara region. Results and Discussion. The research conducted within the framework of the article showed that the communication of representatives of different age and sex groups of rural society occurred both on weekdays and during leisure hours. It manifested itself in various forms, and their ethical norms were defned by the person’s belonging to a certain sexual, age, social group, which determined the status, social and religious functions, as well as behavior in the process of communication. Conclusion. The analysis of feld material allows to draw a conclusion about the unity of traditional forms of communication and the norms of collective and individual behavior of the Mordovians of Samara Region and other regions corresponding to them. Differences are revealed only in the form of variants of different forms of communication and behavior. The reasons for their emergence were the contacts of the Mordva with various ethnic groups, as well as the changes in socio-economic conditions of life.