What is cultural heritage? The concept and meaning of the cultural heritage of Russia. Spiritual culture
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………………………..…….2
.…………… ….….…….2
2. Main part ………………………………………………………………….…..4
2.1. Traditions ………….………………………………………………………………..4
2.1.1. Traditions in different periods of time ………...…… ……….………6
2.2. Customs ……………………………………………………………………..……….8
2.3. Manners ………………………………………….…………………………...………10
2.4. Values ……………………………………..……..…………………….………11
2.4.1. Types of values ..……………………….………………………….…...…..12
2.5. Cultural borrowings …………………………………….…………..14
3. Meaning of elements cultural heritage ………………………….…15
1. Introduction
1.1. Culture in development public life
Culture is one of the two three most difficult words, used in our practical and scientific life. This is partly due to the fact that it has a complex and intricate linguistic history, and partly because it applies extremely complex concepts in different scientific disciplines and, moreover, in very different systems of thought.
In its etymological meaning, the concept of culture dates back to antiquity. It can be found in treatises and letters Ancient Rome. The concept of “culture” in figurative meaning similar to the concept of “economy” and initially correlated with the culture of something: the culture of the soul, the culture of the mind, the cult of the gods and the cult of ancestors. Such combinations existed for many centuries, until Latin countries The term “civilization” did not come into use. It covered the totality social heritage in the fields of technology, science, art and political institutions. For a long time the concepts of “culture” and “civilization” were identical. He was the first to draw the line between them German philosopher I. Kant, and at the beginning of the twentieth century the German philosopher O. Spengler completely opposed them.
Culture is a way of organizing and developing human life, represented in its material and intangible products, which are accepted and recognized in social communities and passed on from generation to generation. Culture is a purely human phenomenon, and man is a cultural phenomenon. This means, firstly, that culture arises and exists only in connection with human activity, is inherent only to humans; animals do not possess culture (although their behavior is much more “social” than previously assumed). Secondly, this means that a born child is only a “candidate” to become a person; he is formed as a person, as a personality, only in the process of mastering culture - its values, norms, ideals, etc.
Education and upbringing are nothing more than the mastery of culture, the process of transmitting it from one generation to another. Culture means the introduction of a person to society, society. Any person first of all masters the culture that was created before him, thereby mastering the social experience of his predecessors. But at the same time, he makes his own contribution to the cultural layer, thereby enriching it.
Mastery of culture can be carried out in the form interpersonal relationships and self-education. The process of socialization can be represented as a continuous acquisition of culture. N.A. Berdyaev expressed the contradictions of the process of socialization and culture. Its inconsistency is manifested in the contradiction:
between socialization and individualization of personality,
between the normativity of culture and the freedom that it represents to a person,
· between the traditional nature of a culture and the renewal that occurs in its body.
These contradictions are not only essential characteristic culture, but are the source of its development. For culture as a social phenomenon, the fundamental, system-forming concepts are cultural statics and cultural dynamics. The first characterizes culture at rest, the second – as a process in movement and change. The basic elements of culture exist in two forms - material and spiritual. Totality material elements amounts to material culture, and intangible ones – spiritual. Material culture characterizes this activity from the point of view of its influence on human development, revealing his abilities, creative possibilities, talents. Material culture includes: the culture of labor and material production, the culture of topos, the culture of attitude towards own body, Physical Culture. The spiritual side of cultural statics: norms, rules, patterns and norms of behavior, laws, spiritual values, ceremonies, rituals, symbols, myths, knowledge, ideas, customs, traditions, language.
Part of the material and spiritual culture created by past generations is called cultural heritage. Heritage is an important factor in the unity of science, a means of uniting society in times of crisis. Cultural statics includes the concept of a cultural area - a geographical area within which different cultures show similarities in the main features. Cultural heritage is expressed by cultural universals - norms, values, rules, traditions, properties that are inherent in all cultures, regardless of geographical location, historical time and social structure of society.
2. Main part
2.1. Traditions
The concept of “tradition” from Latin traditio, meaning “to convey.” Initially, this word was used in a literal meaning, denoting a material action: for example, the ancient Romans used it when it came to the need to hand someone an object and even give their daughter in marriage. But the transferred object can be intangible, a certain skill or skill.
Traditions are elements of social and cultural heritage that are passed down from generation to generation and preserved in a particular community for a long time. There are many types of traditions, I.V. Sukhanov gives an example of revolutionary traditions, and defines them as the process of reproduction in new generations of Soviet people, those moral and political qualities that were developed by the Russian working class in period of three revolutions and civil war. The ultimate goal of traditions is to bring the activities of the new generation into the same direction as the activities of older generations. But if we repeat what has been done, then progress will stop, so humanity has introduced and is introducing something new into what previous generations were doing.
However, traditions, despite their stability and conservatism, are being destroyed. In the process of development of society, tradition is supplemented by other means of reproduction and is subject to the integrity and sustainability of culture (ideology, law, religion, politics and other forms of spirituality). This is where a historical trend arose, which is called traditionalism, the essence of which can be reduced to the assumption of the existence of some “original tradition”, which is considered to be the same among all cultures and stands at their origins as the original state of the world, the unity of all cultures is postulated, and multiplicity and division of cultures, as regression, decline, retreat to the original position.
Traditions arose a long time ago, and in ancient centuries they determined the public and personal life of a person. Traditions contained instructions, moral and aesthetic norms, rules and skills of economic activity,
housing arrangements, ways of raising children, providing care to the sick, and using medicines. Stability, repetition, consolidation in customs - all this made tradition a means of transmitting the culture of the people. Traditions function in all social systems and are a necessary condition their life activities. A bad attitude towards traditions leads to a breakdown in continuity in the development of society and culture, to the loss of valuable achievements of mankind. “Blind admiration for tradition gives rise to conservatism and stagnation in public life.”
There are strict traditions that do not allow innovations and deviations in behavior. They are characterized by a very long existence, passed on from generation to generation without change. Another type is represented by plastic, mobile traditions. They have a fairly wide range of variability, changeability, although the basis of traditions also remains unchanged. In this case, traditions can “overgrow” with new norms, rules, techniques; they change depending on one or another situation, allowing for behavior options in different circumstances.
Traditional forms of culture mainly spread during those periods of social history when social development was at a slow pace, life was subject to routine. Insularity contributed to the strengthening of the role of traditions cultural life, limited change, absence or poor development of writing. In this sense traditional forms cultures expressed social conservatism and were beneficial to the ruling class of exploiters, because they supported the stability of power. Therefore, cultural progress and the development of social life were associated with overcoming traditions that fettered the initiative and creative and transformative activities of the people. K. Marx and F. Engels noted that “the traditions of all dead generations loom like a nightmare over the minds of animals.”
Societies differ from each other in the nature and content of traditions, the pace of their renewal and dissemination, and the methods of consolidation and transmission to other generations. Some traditional forms of culture long time remain unchanged.
These are, for example, traditional folk games, cooking, rituals of special events. Cultural traditions go back centuries, but this does not lose their modernity.
Values occupy a special place in society. Value- these are specific, significant for of this subject and objects that satisfy his needs.
“Value is identified with significance, or is reduced to the everyday literary concept of value, used to designate all forms of human significance.”
Another interpretation of values in domestic sociology is the most common and is at the intersection of the positivist interpretation of values and the Marxist concept of value and utility. This position is most clearly presented by the “founders” of Soviet sociology A.G. Zdravomyslova and V.A. Yadova. Here, value components are included in the motivational structure of the individual, where incentives human activity line up in a kind of chain: needs, transformed into interests, in turn, “turn” into values. Each of these transformations contains certain qualitative changes. When transforming needs into interests, those characteristics of activity in which the attitude towards social institutions is manifested come to the fore. Here, the incentive for human activity is not what is undoubtedly necessary, but what is beneficial from the point of view of the material conditions of existence. Value ideas affect personality, the structure of self-awareness, and personal needs. Here, what comes to the fore is what corresponds to the idea of a person’s purpose and his dignity, those moments in the motivation of behavior in which self-affirmation and personal freedom are manifested. Consequently, the value perception of reality is a vision of it that is mediated by social feelings and developed forms of spiritual creativity and which rises above the world of immediate needs and interests.
Thus, A.G. Zdravomyslov concludes that “values are interests that have become isolated during the development of history due to the division of labor in the sphere of spiritual production, the object of which is moral, ethical and aesthetic norms.”
Values These are generally accepted beliefs. Different cultures may have preferences different values(heroism on the battlefield, artistic creativity, asceticism), and each society establishes what is valuable and what is not.
Values are formed under the influence of beliefs and beliefs. Beliefs and Beliefs – this is a person’s subjective and personal attitude towards objects, ideas, theories. Greatest development beliefs received in the world's largest religions. It was religions that had a decisive influence on the formation of culture in the world.
Beliefs are born when there is a lack of information, and beliefs are logically based knowledge about reality. Beliefs and beliefs are based on knowledge. It is knowledge that gives beliefs and beliefs one or another meaning, endows them with an idea.
Many Americans believe in American dream about equal opportunities, and the Soviet people believed in a bright communist future.
Values are abstract ideals that are shared by the majority of members of a society. Yes, values American society form the core American image life. Among them are achievements and success, material comfort, practicality and efficiency, progress, freedom.
The regulation of people's behavior in accordance with the values of a particular culture occurs through cultural norms
Values are abstract ideals that are shared by the majority of members of a society. The regulation of people's behavior occurs through cultural norms.
Rules.
People have come up with many different rules and in different cultures we observe a greater or lesser difference between these rules. Let's take, for example, the legal systems of modern Russia and China (legal norms). As is known, since 1996, a moratorium on the death penalty has been introduced in Russia. In China it is used; there are several dozen crimes for which in China there is a punishment of death penalty(in Russia there are no punishments for the same crimes at all). Let's name a few of these punishments: for corruption, for drugs, for prostitution, for car theft.
People themselves create various cultural patterns, which they subsequently obey and take for granted. Samples and patterns of behavior of people in society that regulate behavior in certain direction, called cultural norms. They prescribe to us what we “should” and what we “shouldn’t.” Additionally, a cultural norm is a system of behavioral expectations, a cultural image of how people expect to act. When carrying out certain actions, we adhere to generally accepted norms. Our culture defines this behavior as correct.
Patterns and patterns of behavior of people in society that regulate behavior in a certain direction are called cultural norms. They prescribe to us what we should, should, or should not do. Cultural norm is a system of behavioral expectations.
Let us consider the main types of norms in increasing order of their social significance.
Habits. There are thousands of generally accepted patterns of behavior. A behavioral pattern becomes a custom only when, due to long-term adherence, it becomes a behavioral stereotype, a habit. Habit is the basic mechanism of a system of cultural norms.
Customs. Unlike habits customs– these are mass patterns of behavior relating to socially significant phenomena. They are formed in the course of successful and unsuccessful attempts of various social groups, society and represent a set of behavior patterns that help people the best way interact with each other.
So, in Rus' it was customary to give birth to children in hot baths, and in one of the tribes of South American Indians, women give birth in a hanging position, on trees. All these are customs.
Some customs prove to be the most important in promoting security and social order in a society. They are called moral standards or mores . Moral standards are firmly established and carried out automatically. When they are assimilated by the individual, it comes into force social control of behavior , which makes it psychologically difficult for this individual to commit prohibited actions.
For example, for us the moral norm makes cannibalism emotionally impossible.
Among the diversity of human cultural customs, there are also some common features. Those of them that are inherent in all or almost all societies are called cultural universals. These include a language with complex grammar. All cultures have some form of family system whose values and norms relate to the care of children. The universals are the institution of marriage, religious rituals and property rights. All cultures contain a ban in one form or another. incest (incest). Anthropologists also report the existence of many other cultural universals, including art, dance, jewelry, games, gift-giving customs, jokes, and hygiene.
Part of the customs are patterns of behavior that are followed as a matter of good manners and politeness.
Manners- these are external forms of human behavior that receive positive or negative assessment from others.
Etiquette- a system of rules of behavior adopted in special social circles that make up a single whole.
The number of customs in society is very large. Even the most primitive societies have several thousand customs, and in modern society their number increases significantly. If customs are passed from one generation to another, they become traditions.
Traditions- these are elements of social and cultural heritage that are passed on from generation to generation and preserved in certain society, social group for a long time. Traditions function in all social systems and are a necessary condition for their life.
Customs and traditions often manifest themselves in rites and rituals.
Rituals and rituals- These are symbolic collective actions that embody certain social ideas and evoke certain collective feelings. Rites and rituals accompany important points human life and have a strong emotional and psychological impact on people. Various societies create special, unique rituals associated with the same events.
Institutional norms.
Institutional norms differ from simple customs and moral norms primarily in that they are consciously and carefully developed. As a result, a formal or informal code of adherence to them is established.
Army, education, religion - all this social institutions, supporting their own regulatory framework. For example, the institutional norms of the army are laid down in the army regulations, the Olympic movement - in the Olympic Charter, etc. The normative codes of both these and other institutions develop gradually from customs and moral standards.
Laws.
While moral standards are based mainly on moral prohibitions and permissions , laws- these are simply reinforced and formalized moral norms that require strict implementation. The implementation of the norms included in the laws is ensured by institutions specially created for this purpose (such as the police, courts, colonies for criminals, etc.). Those who do not obey legalized moral standards are usually punished, isolated, or even destroyed. Laws are established and sanctioned by the state. Ensuring them often requires the use of government coercive measures.
It is necessary to say about the special significance of language in culture. Language – it is a means, an instrument for understanding the world around us. Language is the main means by which people convey information, views and emotions to each other. Language is connected with the foundations of culture and with all human relationships; with its help, the socialization of the individual occurs and the transmission of culture to other generations.
Dynamics of culture
Culture, like society, does not stand still, it changes. Cultural changes include various aspects: inventions, the emergence of new words in our language, changes in norms of behavior and morality, new forms of art, music. Often cultural changes are also social at the same time. Thus, a change in moral norms can lead to changes in relationships between social communities. All cultural changes are called " sociocultural changes».
P. Sorokin in labor "Social and cultural dynamics» exploring sociocultural changes, analyzed various aspects human culture- art, education, ethics, legislation, military affairs. Sorokin proposed dividing it into two opposite types - “speculative” and “sensual”. These are ideal types that cannot be found in pure form not in any era. The intermediate form between the first and second is designated as “idealistic”.
Speculative culture by its nature it is spiritual, immaterial, hidden behind sensory manifestations. Sensual culture material, accessible to the senses, it moves and constantly changes. The needs and goals of people are purely carnal, or sensual (hunger and thirst, shelter, comfort). To satisfy these goals it is necessary to use the external environment. Intermediate, "idealistic culture» represents a balanced combination of speculative and sensory elements.
Majority sociocultural changes, according to Sorokin, it has the character of constantly changing, periodically repeating processes.
Let's consider other processes of sociocultural changes:
1). Diffusion. Diffusion (from lat. diffusio- diffusion, diffusion) is the spread of cultural traits and patterns from group to group and their implementation. It operates both within societies and between them. Thus, the methods of scientific management developed by the American school of F. Taylor were introduced in other societies.
Diffusion is possible only in those societies that come into close contact with each other. The group takes some cultural traits and rejects others. So, we accept a lot of European cuisine, but nevertheless we do not accept the Catholic religion.
2). Assimilation. Assimilation (from lat. assimilatio- assimilation) is a process of mutual cultural penetration through which individuals and groups come to a shared understanding by all participants in the process general culture. This is always a two-way process in which each group has the ability to penetrate its culture into other groups in proportion to its size, prestige and other factors.
Thus, the culture of the small group was assimilated into the culture of the large group. Assimilation can significantly weaken and extinguish group conflicts by mixing separate groups into one large one with a homogeneous culture. This happens because social conflict involves the separation of groups, but when the cultures of the groups are assimilated, the very cause of the conflict is eliminated.
3). Amalgamization(from lat. amalgama– alloy) is a biological mixing of two or more ethnic groups or peoples, after which they become one group or people. Thus, the Russian nation was formed through the biological mixing of many tribes and peoples (Pomors, Varangians, Western Slavs, Mordovians, Tatars, etc.).
Related information.
1. Tradition– elements of social and cultural heritage, pe-
transmitted from generation to generation and preserved in certain
local societies, classes and social groups during
for a long time.
2. VladimirMonomakh– great Kyiv prince, outstanding
statesman and writer Ancient Rus'. One of the main
Monomakh considers education to be the means of raising children. Monomakh
for the first time in Russian literature put forward the task of communication between educational
with the practical needs of the individual and substantiated the idea of action
activity, paid attention to the development of children’s initiative and
amateur performances.
3. Domostroy- belongs to the type of moralizing and family-oriented
everyday works, which set out the rights and obligations
the head of the family and his household. It is divided into 27 chapters, some of
They concern issues of family and social education.
4. M.V. Lomonosov- Russian scientist - encyclopedist, conquered
nickname of domestic education, supporter of the classless system
education.
5. K.D. Ushinsky- teacher - democrat, founder of Russian
pedagogical science in Russia, principles of pedagogical views of K.D.
Ushinsky – nationality, originality of Russian pedagogical science,
education at work.
6. A.S. Makarenko– teacher and writer Soviet period. He
put forward the basic principles of creating and pedagogical guidance
education for children's groups, developed a methodology for labor education
research, studied the problems of forming conscious discipline and
raising children in a family.
7. P.P. Golonsky- Russian teacher, psychologist and philosopher.
Before October revolution was an idealist. After the revolution, the
went to Marxist positions. In psychology he was an adherent
just behavior, but “conscious behavior.” Considered it necessary
We are training in a new unified labor political school.
8. V.A. Sukhomlinsky– Ukrainian (Soviet) teacher, art
followed creation questions children's group, the formation of moral
but ethical standards among young people.
9. General pedagogical issues– issues of education, training
learning and personality development.
10. Didactic questions– questions of learning theory. Tre-
requirements for the selection of educational content in a particular subject, prin-
teaching principles, etc.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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“Social problems” - Professional cycle of a doctor. Social problems doctors and proposed solutions. Social problems of doctors. Current issues of doctors in the context of social groups. Summary. Number of publications per month. The survey was attended by: 10 experts. Express survey of experts on current problems healthcare workers and the industry as a whole.
“Social gerontology” - Social and psychological problems of older people. Diseases. Home care model. Principles of functioning of the home help service. Four decades of late adulthood. Activities of pensioners. Role loss and role ambiguity. The main goals of social protection of older people in Russia. Home service needs.
“Elderly person” - Methods: survey, research, analysis. Dal V.I. Dictionary living Great Russian language. Do you want to live to a ripe old age? Hypothesis: Attitude modern society to an elderly person. Is old age really a difficult period of life? Object of study: the attitude of young people and older people towards older people.
“Social Policy” - The middle class has been destroyed, conditions have been created for clan-mafia capitalism. Funding problems social policy. The outlook for the future is grim. The main dilemmas of modern social policy Brussels, 1995. Institutional Relative poverty Universality Vertical equality. Two components of social policy.
“Social protection” - Result: the social protection system is under pressure. Are we talking about the “exhaustion of the model of society”? (J. Habermas). It was proposed to make citizen participation the basis of political and social action.* Exceptionally favorable economic conditions or a reliable labor protection system? In other words, the desire to establish, even by force, a kingdom of goals in history is gone.
“Social Policy of the Russian Federation” - The level of education of the population correlated with the highest achievements in the world. Increase in savings. Natural. Increasing social spending by the state, creating conditions for improving life. Nominal income. Non-commercial transfers (sponsorship). Life expectancy. Income from various activities.
There are a total of 17 presentations in the topic
It is extremely diverse and includes everything that has been created by humanity throughout its historical spiritual development. The study of this cultural diversity is carried out on the basis of identifying cultural elements, which include signs, symbols, language, values, norms, manners, etiquette, rituals, customs, and traditions.
Signs - materially, sensually perceived objects (phenomena, actions, relationships) that serve to designate other objects, phenomena, actions, as well as the transfer and processing of information (knowledge).
Symbols- these are also signs, but those that cause an unambiguous social reaction and serve as a means of social interaction.
Signs And symbols presented mainly in language. Thanks to them, it becomes possible to streamline human experience and behavior. Language is an objective form of accumulation, preservation and transmission of human experience. The term "language" has at least two interrelated meanings:
- language in general, i.e. language as a certain class of sign systems;
- a specific, so-called ethnic language is a specific really existing sign system used in a specific society, in a specific time and in a specific space.
Language - an objective form of accumulation, preservation and transmission of human experience. The concept of “language” has two interrelated meanings: 1) language in general, language as a certain class of sign systems; 2) a specific, so-called ethnic language - a specific really existing sign system used in a specific society, in a specific time and in a specific space.
Language appears at a certain stage of development of society to satisfy many needs and is therefore a multifunctional system. Its main functions are the creation, storage and transmission of information. Acting as a means of human communication (communicative function), language provides social behavior person.
Values - This is a set of those socially significant preferences that are given priority by various social groups in society. Values demonstrate, first of all, the significance that certain objects, relationships, phenomena, norms, ideals, and rules have for people. Values can be moral, political, religious, economic, aesthetic, etc.
Values - generally accepted beliefs about the goals to which a person should strive. They form the basis moral principles. For example, in Christian morality, the Ten Commandments indicate that the values, in particular, are the preservation of human life (“thou shalt not kill”), marital fidelity (“thou shalt not commit adultery”), and respect for parents (“honor thy father and thy mother”).
Different cultures may favor different values (heroism on the battlefield, artistic creativity, asceticism), and each social order establishes what is a value and what is not.
Rules regulate people's behavior in accordance with the values of a particular culture. Standards of behavior are determined by social norms. Compliance is promoted social punishments or incentives called sanctions. Punishments that deter people from doing certain things are called negative sanctions. These include reprimand, fine, imprisonment, etc. Positive sanctions (monetary reward, empowerment, high prestige) are called incentives for compliance with norms. Sanctions derive their legitimacy from norms.
Habits arise from skills and are reinforced through repeated repetition. A habit is an established pattern of behavior, or, in other words, a stereotype of behavior in certain situations.
Manners- external forms of human behavior that receive positive or negative feedback from others and are based on habits. They distinguish the educated from the ill-mannered, aristocrats and secular people from commoners. If habits are acquired spontaneously, then good manners are acquired through education. Manners are extremely varied: some are secular, others are everyday. Individually, manners constitute elements, or traits, of culture, and a particular cultural complex called etiquette.
Etiquette - a system of rules of behavior adopted in special social circles that form a single whole. Etiquette includes special manners, norms, ceremonies and rituals, characterizes the highest strata of society and belongs to the field of elite culture.
Customs - a traditionally established order of behavior, in contrast to the manners inherent in the broad masses of people. It is also based on habit, but not on individual habit, but on collective habit. Custom is a form of social regulation of people’s activities and relationships adopted from the past, which is reproduced in a certain society or social group and is familiar to its members. Custom consists of strict adherence to the instructions received from the past. Rituals, holidays, production skills, etc. can act as customs. Customs are unwritten rules of behavior.
Traditions - elements of social and cultural heritage that are passed on from generation to generation and preserved in a particular community or social group for a long time. In other words, if habits and customs are passed from one generation to another, they turn into traditions. Traditions function in all social systems and are a necessary condition for their life. Disdainful attitude to traditions leads to a disruption of continuity in the development of society and culture, to the loss of valuable achievements of mankind. At the same time, blind admiration for tradition gives rise to conservatism and stagnation in public life.
Closely related to the concept of “tradition” is the concept traditional society, which is usually understood as all types of society that differ from the social models of the New Age (societies of antiquity, the Middle Ages, as well as most civilizations of the East). The main distinguishing feature of such a society is that the central place in it belongs to religious and mythological systems that underlie all socio-cultural and political institutions. Traditional society occupies the longest period of time in human history. It includes three historical eras— primitiveness (hunting-gatherer, pastoral and agricultural stages of development), slave-owning antiquity and medieval feudalism.
A distinctive property of a traditional society is that the past dominates the present, determining its course and development, and tradition acts as a method or mechanism of transmission historical experience, ensuring continuity and sustainability in individual and social development of people. Tradition is a certain pattern in society, following which implies the denial of innovation and creativity, giving them a clearly negative assessment, especially if they threaten the old traditional foundations of society.
In a traditional society there is no choice as such, since the experience of each new generation is based on the social experience of the older generation. Tradition is something like a social instinct, i.e. the historically inherited ability to perform actions (whether appropriate or not) following an unconscious impulse. This is a kind of automatically working mechanism that enjoys honor and respect, as a rule, religiously sanctified. Tradition permeates everything social sphere people’s life activities, limiting the possibilities of personal development and free self-expression.
Tradition determines status positions in society, sets its guidelines and principles, and this means that it is not the personality that determines the status, but, on the contrary, the status determines the personality and the functions or roles performed by a person depend on such ascriptive (prescribed) things as age, gender, belonging to a particular community - clan, family, clan, territorial, etc. At the same time, members of traditional society take for granted the established social order and rarely try to change it. As a result, a person’s social status predetermination leaves virtually no opportunity for individual self-determination. When tradition interferes with the progressive development of a society that cannot function within the framework of the existing traditional system, the death of such a society occurs if changes adequate to the situation are not made. This convincingly confirms the disappearance of many ancient peoples, once flourishing states and civilizations.
Note that until the 1960s. The scientific view of the concept of “tradition” and its functionality was determined by the approach developed by M. Weber and which came down to a strict opposition between the categories of traditional and rational. Within the framework of the modernization approach, the traditional, which impedes the development of society, was viewed primarily in a negative light, since tradition was considered a dying phenomenon, unable to really resist modern forms life, nor coexist with them. But from the middle of the 20th century. the view on the nature of tradition has changed and the idea began to be expressed that tradition and innovation, tradition and modernity are interconnected and interdependent.
This proves modern Russian society, in which the traditional and the modern are closely intertwined. Nowadays in sociological theory the term “ transitional society", used to designate societies of a transformational type. During this "transitional" period traditional societies and institutions, reorganizing, adapt to changing conditions, and traditional values in some cases can serve as a source of legitimation of new values to achieve new goals.
Ritual (rite) - a set of symbolic stereotypical collective actions that embody certain social ideas, perceptions, norms and values and evoke certain collective feelings. They express religious ideas or household traditions. Rituals are not limited to one social group, but apply to all segments of the population. Rituals accompany important moments in human life. The power of ritual lies in its emotional and psychological impact on people. In ritual, not only the rational assimilation of certain norms, values and ideals occurs, but also empathy for them by the participants in the ritual action.
Performing rituals, or ceremonial acts prescribed religious tradition, constitutes a specific type of behavior that can be traced in any known to science society. Therefore, ritual can be considered as information that allows us to describe human reality.
Cultural universals
Cultural universals arise because all people, no matter what part of the world they live in, are physically built the same, have the same biological needs and face common problems challenges that the environment poses to humanity. People are born and die, therefore all nations have customs associated with birth and death; they live life together, they have dances, games, greetings, division of labor, etc.
A specific community (civilization, state, nationality, etc.) creates over many centuries own culture, which accompanies an individual throughout his life and is passed on from generation to generation. As a result, many cultures arise.
In sociology, culture is viewed as a complex dynamic formation that has a social nature and is expressed in social relations, aimed at the creation, assimilation, preservation and dissemination of objects, ideas, value concepts that ensure mutual understanding of people in various social situations.
The objects of sociological research are the specific distribution of forms and methods of development, creation and transmission of cultural objects existing in a given society, stable and changeable processes in cultural life, as well as those that determine them social factors and mechanisms. In this context, we can say that sociology studies widespread, stable and repeated over time diverse forms of relations between members social communities, groups and society as a whole with the natural and social environment, the dynamics of cultural development, which allows us to determine the level of cultural development of communities and, therefore, talk about their cultural progress or regression.
The American sociologist and ethnographer D. Murdock in 1959 identified more than 70 universals - elements common to all cultures: age gradation, sports, body jewelry, calendar, cleanliness, community organization, cooking, labor cooperation, cosmology, courtship, dancing, decorative arts, fortune telling, dream interpretation, division of labor, education, etc.
Cultural universals arise because all people, no matter where they live in the world, are physically built the same, have the same biological needs and face common problems that the environment poses to humanity. People are born and die, so all nations have customs associated with birth and death. People live together, they have dances, games, greetings, division of labor, etc.
