К вопросу об этнической и общероссийской идентичности в республиках Башкортостан и Татарстан

Introduction. In multiethnic societies, the issues of interaction between different peoples is the subject of monitoring, as well as of constant attention, on the part of the government as a measure of preventing any contradictions and complications in this area. The article aims at studying the populations’ attitudes and perceptions in terms of local and national (federal, Russian) identities in the Republics of Bashkortostan and Tatarstan, as well as the degree of their involvement in the global social transformations of the Russian society at large. Data and methods. The research focuses on the analysis of the results of 2020–2021 surveys of the population of the two neighboring republics conducted within the framework of the Project «Preservation and development of the ethnocultural and linguistic diversity of the republics as a condition for promoting Russian federalism». When selecting the objects for the research the authors were guided by the fact that Bashkortostan and Tatarstan are leading subjects of the Russian Federation both in terms of socio-economic development and an awareness of civil and ethnic identities. Results. The study shows that while their ethnic (regional) identities have recently been of relevance for the populations in both republics, at the same time, there is a growing awareness of their national (federal) identity; there is an interest in promoting institutes of civil society, as well as in facilitating greater access to active involvement of the people in the economic, social, and public processes. Sociological surveys help correct approaches, as well as clarify and specify some concepts related to ethnological issues. This article, for example, includes analysis of various types of identities, including such concepts as «all-Russian nation», «ethnic identity», which are in the center of discussions in the scientific community. Granted the data of new ethno-sociological studies, the study attempts to further clarify the conceptual bases of these notions, the processes contributing to their formation, and their relationship with other forms of individuals’ identities and loyalties characteristic of modern Russian society. Conclusion. The process of growing national (federal) identity may encounter some difficulty, granted that there are problems in the economic sphere and everyday life. Positive changes in the economic, political, and social areas that will further a better quality of life and provide greater opportunities for development of human potentialities may significantly improve the situation. A diversity of ethnic, cultural, and confessional backgrounds characteristic of the populations in the regions in question contribute to the specific features of their worldviews, loyalties and perceptions, and the study of the mentalities of the people is of urgent relevance for the development of adequate policies in the area.

Hybridity and Ethnic Invisibility of the “Chitty” Heritage Community of Melaka

Migration has produced many ethnic minority communities worldwide owing to sea-borne trade, religious evangelicalism, and colonialism. For centuries, these communities have existed alongside other cultures, creating multiethnic societies. However, changes in political, economic, and sociocultural conditions have caused these communities, typically with varying degrees of social alignment and sociocultural adaptation, to re-strategize their inter-ethnic interactions. One such minority community is the “Chitty” of Melaka, a distinct Tamil community that migrated to Melaka, a coastal port city that has flourished in trade and commerce since the late 14th century. This paper investigates the historiography, its hybridity and adaptation, and the concerns of ethnic invisibility faced by this community throughout its 700-year history. Through historical analysis and ethnographic observations, the study finds that the Chitty community has contributed significantly to the sociocultural, economic, and political fabrics of Melaka in different periods of history. Secondly, the Chitty’s hybridity nature enabled them greater dexterity to socioculturally adapt to the changing surroundings and dynamics in Melaka for the last seven centuries. Thirdly, the study finds that due to their marginality in numbers and the mass arrival of new Indian migrants, the ethnic visibility of the Chitty has diminished in the new Malaysian demographic.

Stuffed Ceramics of the Late Bronze Epoch of the Settlement of Burla-3

The article deals with the results of a comprehensive analysis of the molded ceramics of the Burla-3 settlement of the Late Bronze Age, carried out according to the method of A. A. Bobrinsky. Based on the study of molding masses (FM) of ceramic vessels, it has been established that the pottery tradition is represented by several groups associated with populations of different origins. The main one is the autochthonous technology for the use of chamotte as additives, at the same time, foreign cultural methods for the use of gruss are distinguished. The methods of designing vessels made it possible to reveal that the technological scheme of the Sargary-Alekseevsk culture is dominant. Correlation of the obtained data with the ornamental scheme of the ceramic complex made it possible to distinguish several technological groups: “Sargary-Alekseevskaya”, “Dongal”, “Irmenskaya”, and hybrid types between them. Keywords: Burla-3, Ob-Irtysh interfluve, steppe Altai, ceramics, technical and technological analysis, Late Bronze Age Acknowledgments: The article was prepared with the financial support of the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 20–18–00179 “Migration and the Processes of Ethnocultural Interaction as Factors in the Formation of Multiethnic Societies on the Territory of the Greater Altai in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: an Interdisciplinary Analysis of Archaeological and Anthropological Materials”.

Understanding Who is Having a Taste(off) Nigeria

Events and festivals, especially those focused on food, showcase the many nuances within a culture and can be seen to be an effective medium to transfer cultural identity or tradition. Cultural phenomena such as food festivals are integral to cultural immersion, especially in multicultural/multiethnic societies such as Nigeria. Emphasizing the importance of investigating the culinary festival market in Nigeria, TasteOff is an example in a developing country that identifies the market segments based on a multisegmentation approach that includes (i) travel motives, (ii) the important "festivalscape" factors, and (iii) future culinary event preferences. This research contributes dually to (i) a better understanding of culinary tourism in Africa, especially since much attention is placed on the South African scenario, and (ii) the needs and preferences of Africa's largest economy, Nigeria.

Diversity and prosocial behavior

Immigration and globalization have spurred interest in the effects of ethnic diversity in Western societies. Most scholars focus on whether diversity undermines trust, social capital, and collective goods provision. However, the type of prosociality that helps heterogeneous societies function is different from the in-group solidarity that glues homogeneous communities together. Social cohesion in multiethnic societies depends on whether prosocial behavior extends beyond close-knit networks and in-group boundaries. We identify two features of modern societies—social differentiation and economic interdependence—that can set the stage for constructive interactions with dissimilar others. Whether societal adaptations to diversity lead toward integration or division depends on the positions occupied by minorities and immigrants in the social structure and economic system, along with the institutional arrangements that determine their political inclusion.

Language and Law in Multiethnic Societies: The Case of Transylvania

Transylvania is a multiethnic society that was part of the Hungarian legal space for centuries. Still, after the WWI, this territory became part of Romania, alongside with a significant number of Hungarian-speaking minority population. What happened with Hungarian as a legal language after the annexation of Transylvania to Romania? The article deals with the history and current status of Hungarian legal language in Romania, emphasizing the frequent contradictions between legal texts and realities, the importance of political context, and fluctuations in the minority rights. The focus is on two problems: the language of legal education and the language of the court proceedings. There are arguments brought to prove the conditionality between these two at the intersection of history of legal education and minority rights.

Into the Grey Zone, Or: How to Track Fading Multiculturalism in Southeastern Europe

The exhibition ‘“We Live Word to Word.” Banat – Transylvania – Bukovina. Ethno graffiti of Southeastern Europe’ resulted from an interdisciplinary project seminar at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, based on a team ethnographic journey to Romania and Ukraine. Participants in the seminar, initiated in 2018, investigated how communities and togetherness have been constructed in multiethnic societies. The purpose was to find out what has remained of the region’s multicultural nature after the political changes of 1989. The team made their own observations, recorded interviews, and took notes, the resulting fragments of cultural diversity being later pieced together in the exhibition. Some contributions were colourful—even garish—while others were tender and withdrawn. Combined and linked, the final result seemed like a fleeting picture such as might have been sprayed from the aerosols of a street-artist—a sort of ‘ethnograffiti’. In this article, the authors reflect on how the exhibition was put together.

A Theory of Ethnic Cleavages, Group Mobilization, and Conflict in Multiethnic States

This chapter argues that the consequences of ethnic group mobilization depend on countries’ ethnic cleavage types. It introduces two ideal types of multiethnic societies: segmented unranked and stratified societies. The chapter traces the origins of these cleavage types back to the legacies of European overseas colonialism. It explains why the colonial settler states and the decolonized states constitute archetypical cases of stratified and segmented unranked societies, respectively. It then theorizes how these ethnic cleavage types affect the prevalence of different forms of conflict in multiethnic states today. In stratified societies, stable between-group hierarchies and a high degree of social integration deprive the marginalized groups of the capacity for armed rebellion and make the relative opportunity structure more conducive to peaceful direct action than to violence. In contrast, unstable group hierarchies and high social segmentation stimulate the capacity for violence and increase the relative opportunities for armed revolt compared to nonviolent strategies.

Prosocial Behaviour in Interethnic Encounters: Evidence from a Field Experiment with High- and Low-Status Immigrants

Recent waves of immigration have changed the demographic face of European societies and fueled considerable debate over the consequences of ethnic diversity for social cohesion. One prominent argument in this debate holds that individuals are less willing to extend trust and solidarity across ethnic lines, leading to lower social capital in multiethnic communities. We present a direct test of this proposition in a field experiment involving native-immigrant interactions in Zurich's Central Train Station. Our intervention consists of approaching commuters with a small request for assistance (borrowing a mobile phone), which we take as a measure of prosociality. We further differentiate between reactions towards natives as well as both high- and low-status immigrant groups. Compared to native-native interactions, we find lower solidarity in native-immigrant encounters, especially in cases involving stereotypically low-status immigrants. In exploratory analyses, we further show that discrimination only obtains in 'low cost' situations where commuters could easily justify not helping (e.g. by claiming not to carry a phone). Overall our results shed light on key theoretical mechanisms underlying patterns of solidarity in contemporary multiethnic societies.