CC BY
15
2018.02.005. MADINA BATCHAEVA. MUSLIM YOUTH SUBCULTURES IN THE KARACHAYEVO-CIRCASSIAN REPUBLIC: STRUCTURE AND FUNCTIONS // "Vestnik AGU," Maykop, 2016, Issue 4 (189) Sociology, P. 44-49.
Keywords: Muslim youth subcultures, re-institutionalization of Islam, subcultural features, globalization, gender relations.
Madina Batchaeva,
Senior Lecturer,
the Department of the Public
and Municipal Administration and Political Science,
the Karachayevo-Circassia University named after U.D. Aliev
The author of the article notes that the process of globalization, which affected all aspects of the life of the society -political, economic and cultural, exacerbates the problems of confrontation between the traditional and the modern in Russian society, both in the cultural system in general and in the institution of religion in particular. On the one hand, globalization as a political phenomenon contributes to the spread of liberal ideas, the promotion of human rights and freedoms. On the other hand, globalization as a cultural phenomenon becomes a source of contradictions and problems in the sphere of ethnic, religious and other social identity. Globalist culture may provoke contradiction with the national and religious norms and traditions.
The author emphasizes that the modernist attitudes contradict to the norms of the traditional culture of the Caucasus in many respects, these settings lead to a reassessment of values in the traditional culture. Liberalization and democratization of the social system of the modern Russian society promote freedom of morals and freedom of choice of a system of values and beliefs in the context of globalist culture. Globalization transforms culture into a single large motley mosaic of subcultures.
The author refers to Mike Brake, an American sociologist, according to whom the subculture is a special form of organization
of people (most often the youth), an autonomous integral formation within the dominant culture that determines the way of life and thinking of its carriers, differing in their customs, norms, sets of values and even institutions. The concept of "subculture" is also used to describe the style and way of life, the set of symbols, cultural patterns and values of a particular social group, maintaining ties with the dominant culture, at the same time.
Improving mass communications, increasing the flow and availability of information in Russian society in general, and in Karachayevo-Circassia in particular, leads to the emergence of various subcultures within the dominant traditional Caucasian culture. The formation of subcultures of various types is peculiar to youth in the first place, as the most progressive part of the society, which is caused by a number of factors, both political and social. Among these factors, we can note the events of the world scale related to the development of Islam, the Chechen wars at the turn of the century, the aggravation of the intergenerational conflict of "fathers and children" in connection with the transformation of the social system, the effect of youthful maximalism, the re-institutionalization of Islam, and economic problems in the region. A negative image of a young Muslim has been formed in the mass consciousness, and the younger he is, the more negative that Muslim is perceived by others.
Muslim youth communities can be analyzed through a subcultural approach from the position of sociological science, since they have the basic characteristics of subcultures: style and way of life, value system, symbols and cultural patterns, such as appearance, food restrictions, gender relations, self-identification, etc. The fundamentalists of the KChR, as well as throughout the North Caucasus, advocate the expulsion from Islam of "unauthorized innovations" that have been rooted in the consciousness and religious practice of the Muslims of the Caucasus yet, in their opinion. Sunni Islam of Hanafi is the dominant religious culture in the region, it can also be called "traditionalist" Islam or, as it is also called, "Islam by birth." The dominant religious Islamic culture is
manifested exclusively in cult and ritual practices, primarily in funeral rites. The process of re-institutionalization of Islam in the post-Soviet period, continuing in modern Russia, has become an impetus for the emergence of subcultures within the dominant Islamic religious culture.
The author of the article notes that Muslim youth subcultures are dynamic volatile formations, with a constant movement "from center to core" and back. The author uses the concept of "circles" to determine the territorial entities that are formed on the fact of immediate everyday interaction. The author believes that the uncompromising views, demonstrative devotion to faith, younger age of followers, superficial knowledge of the basics of fundamentalism are the characteristics of "outer circles." The characteristics of "center-core" are the religious maturity, moderation of views, older age of followers, deeper knowledge of the basic foundations of the Islamic religion. "Circles" of subcultural unity are represented by moderate fundamentalists in the majority. They are more open for study, go to contact, are not hostile. "Circles" of radical fundamentalists are completely closed, which makes it difficult to study them, generates many myths and fears in the mass consciousness.
Young Muslims are isolated within the dominant culture of traditionalist Islam; Value orientations on the ideas of Islamic fundamentalism, appearance and clothing, food prohibitions, self-identification, ritual practice, economic and labor activity, gender role order are signs of identification in their environment.
Appearance is one of the main distinguishing features in any subculture. Young Muslims are distinguished by their clothing, hairstyle and other attributes. The author notes that today in Karachayevo-Circassia, as well as throughout the North-Western Caucasus, strict regulations on clothing, hairstyle, appearance are not observed due to the influence of globalist culture, modernization processes and the atheistic Soviet past. Now the European style of clothing with minor ethnic motives is considered the norm in the dominant culture. The author notes that the more
moderate the "circle" is, the more freedom in clothes and appearance is allowed there. The same applies to food prohibitions, and not only on meat products and alcohol, but the more radical part of the community strictly defines the concept of "halal" - permitted, cooked only by "true Muslims."
The author notes that self-identification is defined as the appearance and the system of "friend or foe." The peculiarities of ritual practice are determined by the preference of Muslim norms and traditions, but not the Caucasian ones in youth Muslim subcultures. This is especially evident in funeral ritual practice. Significant differences are also characteristic for the rituals of the birth of children and marriage. Wedding rituals are focused on avoiding the norms of traditional culture as well. The permission for polygamy, the possibility of divorce and remarriage (including by women), that are being blamed in traditional culture, become the norm for young Muslims.
Diligence and conscientious attitude to work among young Muslims become attributes of their professional activity. Young Muslims prefer economic independence, they are engaged in small and medium-sized business mainly, and they also prefer working in the private sector, rather than in state institutions. Mainly men are economically active.
The author writes that gender role order can be called one of the subcultural features of youth Muslim formations.
The gender pattern of young Muslims strictly obliges men to take care of women, responsibility for them, and for the financial well-being of women. A woman is associated with the traditional patriarchal role of the mother, whereas in the dominant culture of the region the image of a woman is replicated, viewed as an object of consumption under the influence of Western culture.
Youth Muslim subcultures, like any others, can act as elements of a dominant culture if they are in demand by the social system when they perform certain social functions. The main function of the youth Muslim subcultures of the region is the socialization of youth, in particular, the socialization of the religious. The lack of a
clear system of religious continuity and effective mechanisms of religious socialization brings to life youth Muslim subcultures. These formations also perform specific functions, among which the author singles out the provision of collective support and solidarity in solving social and economic problems, as well as the proposal of a system for identifying and adapting to the changing realities of life, which is very important at a young age.
Growing up, most young Muslims occupy strong positions in the social system, depart from strict identification with the "jamaat," leave "circles." But these "circles" are replenished with new ranks of young people who are in spiritual search, in a difficult life situation, experience a marginal state, are under the influence of youth maximalism.
Author of the abstract - Natalia Ginesina
2018.02.006. ELDAR KASAEV. AZERBAIJAN: WITH RUSSIA OR THE WEST // "Strategiya Rossii," Moscow, 2016, № 6, June, P. 71-78.
Keywords: Azerbaijan, Russia, the U.S., Syria, Turkey, Europe, the West, hydrocarbons.
Eldar Kasaev,
PhD (Economics)
The countries wishing to cooperate with Russia, for example Azerbaijan, become targets for Europeans and the U.S. which by means of various instruments actively influence the European policy - the Candidate of Economic Sciences E. Kasaev writes.
Azerbaijan possesses heavy stocks of hydrocarbons. Despite solid deposits of natural gas, the country cooperates with Russia, including in raw materials import. In 2015 honor Gazprom having oversupply of natural gas on 200 billion cb.m, again began to supply natural gas to Azerbaijanian market. The parties pursue negotiations about delivery expansion, considering growth of gas
