Book
Ойкумена Ближнего Севера России
Different approaches to defining the term «downshifting» are considered. Conception of downshifting as an actual social tendency is presented. Necessity of modern downshifters images presented in mass media is substantiated. Interviews with downshifters published in electronic mass media during 2008-2010 are analyzed in the empirical research. Three types of «successful downshifters» are identified: 1) experience seekers, who are not fixed on a single activity and are seeking new areas for self-realization; 2) those who successfully made their childhood hobby a profession; 3) seekers of calm, harmonic and natural life outside of big cities (developing countries – Thailand, Egypt, India and rural territories in Russia).
The concept of Nature, which has been central to the common comprehension of life throughout Russia’s ancient history, has never been epistemologically neutral. It was clearly embedded in paganism and its underlying values and canons. What is significant is that paganism’s essential understanding of Nature as divine has been radically retailored to achieve very divergent ends. The interpretation of Nature began to reflect the beliefs not of the culture as a whole but of the few who deemed themselves responsible to institute a more advanced culture in place of the existing one. In particular, the process of man’s abstraction from Nature has been taking place through concrete historical events.
The results of a comprehensive study of the socio-economic, socio-geographical, ecological, socio-cultural and demographic processes occurring in Near North European part of Russia. The current state of urban and rural areas, the problem of the crisis of agriculture, power dynamics, natural attrition and migration, the ways of adaptation to the new socio-economic conditions of the past twenty years. The problems of business development and the role of urban summer residents in the preservation of dying villages, especially info-communication and media consumption of rural residents. The questions of biodiversity, natural and social capital of the region, the provision of ecosystem services. Possibilities of recreational use of the Trans-Volga and development of ecological tourism. The controversy over the impact of globalization on the rural economy and society, a trend towards the revival of economic and social archaism. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of the situation in the area Manturovsky Kostroma region, and especially in Ugory-Leontiev rural settlement, which became the main testing ground for interdisciplinary research "Ugory project."
In his seminal work «Gemeinschaft and Gesellschaft», Ferdinand Tönnies back in the late nineteenth century already predicted that the end of the gesellschaft era will be marked by the appearance of new gemeinschafts, which may give birth to a new culture. Nowadays, we may be witnessing the emergence of such gemeinschafts in the form of self-isolated local communities (ecovillages, intentional and religious communities, kin’s domain settlements, etc.). The situation in Russia is unique and unforeseen by Tönnies — new local gemeinschafts coexist in the same country and even in the same ethno-religious environment with the remaining old ones — territorially isolated local communities (remote hard-to-reach villages). Based on the identified features of a gemeinschaft, the article compares territorially isolated and self-isolated local communities (on the example of the so-called kin’s domain settlements — its most widespread variety in Russia) with an ideal gemeinschaft. The author concludes that territorially isolated communities are closer to an ideal gemeinschaft. This can be partly explained by the fact that kin’s domain settlements are still at the initial stage of their development. They grew out of the gesellschaft and bear some of its traits. And even now, gemeinschaft features in kin’s domain settlements are prevailing over the gesellschaft ones as evolution towards an ideal gemeinschaft continues. Nevertheless, new gemeinschafts will remain qualitatively different social ties as compared to the old ones. The data were collected in remote villages and kin’s domain settlements using such methods as in-depth interviews and observations with elements of participant observation.
The book presents multidisciplinary analysis of the various manifestations of post-urban processes in modern society, the scientific understanding of a wide range of issues: the socio-economic and cultural effects and consequences of urbanization are highlighted, features and prospects of ruralization, return migration, the search for new non-urban way of lifestyles in urbanized countries, downshifting and upshifting, the role of modern technology in these processes are described. Special attention is paid to research value grounds, which are largely stem and supported by the space of the modern city.
The book is of interest to a wide range of scientists in humanities disciplines, in particular, sociologists, economists, psychologists, philosophers, cultural studies, political scientists, geographers. The book focuses scientific attention on the new cluster of studies.
Downshifting phenomenon is regarded as a process of inner choice between two options of personal actualization: personalization and personification. Cultural and social background of such choice is described historically. Some aspects of psychological dynamics of choice are illustrated by examples of different downshifting strategies.
Several approaches to the concept of fatherhood present in Western sociological tradition are analyzed and compared: biological determinism, social constructivism and biosocial theory. The problematics of fatherhood and men’s parental practices is marginalized in modern Russian social research devoted to family and this fact makes the traditional inequality in family relations, when the father’s role is considered secondary compared to that of mother, even stronger. However, in Western critical men’s studies several stages can be outlined: the development of “sex roles” paradigm (biological determinism), the emergence of the hegemonic masculinity concept, inter-disciplinary stage (biosocial theory). According to the approach of biological determinism, the role of a father is that of the patriarch, he continues the family line and serves as a model for his ascendants. Social constructivism looks into man’s functions in the family from the point of view of masculine pressure and establishing hegemony over a woman and children. Biosocial theory aims to unite the biological determinacy of fatherhood with social, cultural and personal context. It is shown that these approaches are directly connected with the level of the society development, marriage and family perceptions, the level of egality of gender order.