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ETHNIC SOCIALIZATION OF KAMCHATKA’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND FORMATION OF THEIR ETHNOPSYCHOLOGICAL FEATURES
Buchek A.A.
Specific character of the personal development of a man at the certain culture is determined by the content of the process of ethnic socialization. The terms “ethnic socialization” or “ethnization” are understood as the assimilation of spiritual values and experience of the only ethnos the individual belongs to. This notion is used in psychology to denote the “processes of development, leading to the formation of conduct, perception, values and attitudes of children, peculiar to one of the ethnic groups, and they begin to consider themselves and other people as the members of similar communities”. [4, p54]
With the birth of a man in the particular ethnic surroundings his personality is formed according to the directions and norms of the social surroundings. Through the nearest surroundings the personality in source of its development joins to the specific character of national culture, customs, and traditions which come as an exterior “factor of place” (Mukhina V.S.) in the system of social relations and determines the features of personality development.
Cultural and psychological influence is connected with the active junction to the ethnic values, taking place in the process of socialization. The systems of values, interests, sociality of a man, depends on that culture, in which context his formation as a personality happened. The development of a man as a personality happens exactly in the context of a certain culture, the search of “own” values, formation of the character and world outlook. As M.Mid considers, the culture should be presented in the form of various teaching instances, giving all necessary information usefull for decision of social tasks to the individual, put before him by the society. Scientists state: “Understanding of reality by a man, including the level of a personal sense, goes through the social experience of the specific society”. [12, p.65] At the same time it is emphasized that “realisation of ethnocultural peculiarities of the community, and
consequently, ethnic ideas, reflecting objective properties and ties of the objects and phenomena of ethno-cultural surroundings, where the life of a personality goes by causes the formation of ethnic self-identification its defining personal belonging to the community”. [39, p.41]
The comparative historic studying of the mechanisms of socialization, which a child into the member of the definite, ethnic group deserve special interest of the scientists. According to the opinion of the scientists, the importance of personals socialization is determined in particular by occurred transmission of culture along the time, i.e. the transmission of cultural values from generation to generation happens causes the cultural succession. At the same time in every definite case it is not the whole culture which is transmitted, (“abstract” culture), but particular ethnic culture; in the result of it in the process of socialization the reproduction of ethnos as socio-cultural unity takes place. [19]
Joining to the culture of own nationality, realization of ethnic peculiarities of own ethnic community (interiorization of ethnic properties of the objects of ethnocultural surrounding) determine the formation of the system of ethno-psychological traits of the personality, which is able according to A.R.Luria, to reflect the external reality, the world of social relations and in the end its own inner world, formed in the relations to the objects of ethnic world and ethnic subjects. [25]
Assimilation of socio-cultural surrounding occurs in specific for every ethnos, usual, constantly repeated in the immediate experience of people events. Noted, that these “ethnic structures of daily routine”, commonness (peculiarities of national way of life, various connections and relations of people between each other) form the deep basis of human life, national selfconsciousness and national originality of a person. In mentality the ethnic structures of daily routine are fixed in the form of some
“original evidences”, i.e. stable ideal instances, strengthening habitual ties and relations of own macrocosm. Functionally, images of daily routine structures perfome the role of schemes or reference points, where the perception of environment social surrounding and corresponding the construction of man’s conduct takes place. [7]
Comparative historical investigation of the style of different peoples socialization [42,
43, 44, 45] shows, that in different types of ethnic cultures their own models of upbringing are built. Every ethnic system of upbringing involves the peculiarities of individuals in its own way, forming its own peculiar type of personality.
The issue concerning close interconnection between cultural surrounding and type of personality formed within frames has a long history in foreign ethno-psychology. Scientific investigations of this matter aim to explain the psychological distinctions of people (M.Latsarus,
H.Shteintal, H.Spenser, V.Vundt, F.Boas, R.Benedikt, M.Mid, M.Coal, S.Skribner, J.Fablman, E.Ericson etc).
All of them contain the idea that different types of the personality are the products of different cultures. The properties common for the people of the given culture (the programmed model of socialization) come to cognitive-affective structures.
However, in Andreeva G.M. opinion, cultural symbols only cannot answer the question about psychological differences of the representatives of different ethnic groups. [1]
The assertion that every subject has all set of psychological features but different cultures assist to develop only one of them and don’t help to develop the other individual features (M.Coal, S.Skribner, I.S.Con etc) are practiced on a large scale among the researchers.
So, every ethnic culture forms the specific image of a man as a personality. But in this image, or as I.S.Con writes, system of images, which is the natural norm for individual, the individuality of the culture, caused by its history is reflected. [20]
This article is devoted to the issue of the influence of ethnic socialization of
aboriginal people of Kamchatka upon the formation of their ethno-psychological specific features.
Aboriginal population of the Kamchatka peninsula (the Aleutians, the Alutoritses, the Itelmens, the Kamchadals, the Koryaks, the Chukchi s, the Evens, the Eskimos), included in the Unified list of aboriginal peoples of Russian Federation [32, p.63], has been the subject of scientific interest of historians, ethnographers, archaeologists, anthropologists, linguists already for hundreds years, beginning from the fairy tales of V.V.Atlasov, written in Yakutsk and Moscow on the boundary of the 17th and 18th centuries, classical works of the first researches, visited Kamchatka - S.P.Krasheninnikov, G.V.Steller, K.Ditmar and V.V.Antropova, V.G.Bogoraz, R.S.Vasileyvsky, I.S.Vdovin, I.S.Gurevich, R.G.Lyapunova, 1.1.Orlova,
A.K.Ponomarenko, S.N.Stebnitsky, etc.
We did not set ourselves an object of this article to analyze separately the representatives of different ethnic groups, but to examine them as a whole as the representatives of aboriginal ethnos of Kamchatka, accepting ethnic originality of every nation. There are several weighty arguments in favor of unification of these peoples. Let us to give some of them.
These peoples are unified because of their common geographical location and historical development. S.M.Shirokogorov noticed that coastal regions, giving “the impulse of movement (fish and animal trades)”, develop mobility and communication with other nations: “The spread of the peoples along islands and coasts led to the contacts, and mode the culture common to the whole region”. [41, p.56] The researches emphasize the specificity of definite climatic and natural geographical conditions, the national life is going on. A.F.Dashdamirov writes: «Undoubtedly, the specificity of surroundings is one of the reasons of ethnic similarity of one group of peoples and differences of another. Features of life, culture, psychology are nationally specific because of surroundings’ ecology”. [13, p.69] A.N.Frolova marks:”The Eskimos, the Koryaks lived in one settlement with the Chukchis. All of them lived in harmony, keeping their national traditions;
people respected the culture of the foreigners. That is why the tradition of quick response for the change of climate, natural and social conditions was formed”. [38, p.58]
So, existence for a long time in the same natural climate conditions can be considered as the argument in favor of unification of aboriginal people of Kamchatka according to their psychological characteristics. Moreover R.S.Vasilevsky noticed that “genetically all these anthropological types (the Eskimos, the Chukchis, the Koryaks, the Itelmens, the Aleutians) are unified into one arctic group. [9, p.26]
All these peoples belong to scanty nationalities dealing with traditional forms of economy, typical for all Normadic peoples: hunting, fishing, deer-breeding. Y.M.Plyusnin marks:” Models of life support of traditional communities-traditional ways of economy -are characterized by low level of development, when the main fundamental economic unit is “a big family” or a local group with the prevailing appropriating type of economy; at the same time this type of economy always has a special character, “unitary”. It is determined by ecological dependence of such traditional ways of economy”. [31, p.50]
The following extracts from the works of the scientists give the evidence about common ethno cultural development of these ethnic groups: “Ethnographical information about the Chukchis and the Koryaks was collected by the travelers of 18th and the first part of the 19th centuries”; “Contact of two cultures - the Chukchi and the Eskimo was progressive, that allows to consider people’s arts and crafts, song and dance art, the peculiarities of the system of physical education as common cultural phenomenon”. [38, p. 13] However, every nation has its own ethnic specific character.
V.P.Margaritov writes about the Koryaks: ”Their similarity with the Chukchis is rather significant, and makes a reason for separation of them in one common nation”. [26, p. 105] “The Chukchis and the Koryaks rein-deer breeders are very close in the original social economic way of life and culture, their languages are related too. Many features draw them together with coastal
Chukchis and Eskimos. All of them are sea-hunters; gear, type of lodgings, clothes, utensils, beliefs and spiritual life are the same. It should be mentioned that the Itelmens’ culture has a lot of common with the ethnic history of the Chukchis. Common features in economy, types of settlements, lodgings, clothes, food, and other peculiarities of material culture unite the Chukchis with the other people of the North, reflect ancient cultural and sometimes historical and genetic connections with their close and distant neighbors (the Yakuts, the Evens, the Yukagirs, the Koryaks of Kamchatka)”. [38, p.28]
The titles of the works themselves, devoted to the studying of Kamchatka’s nations, say about the unity and interosculation of ethnic cultures of these nations: “Koryaks and close to them Chukchis” (K.Ditmar); “Eskimos’ elements in the culture of Chukchis and Koryaks”(I.S.Vdovin); “Origin of Chukchi and Koryak culture of deer-breeding”(A.G.Volfson); “Some features of modern ethnic development of Chukchi and Koryaks (changes in ethnic and social professional structure)” (I.S.Gurvich).
In the whole the process of assimilation, interosculation of the ethnic cultures, conjecture a dual treatment. On the one hand, wide diffusion of cultures, innovations support to enrichment both of the personality, widening its social-cultural field, and the culture, where it develops. So, in
S.A.Arutyunov’s opinion, the interaction of the cultures is one of the most important conditions for successful development of any culture and its preservation. [3, p.154]
Analyzing the process of assimilation of aborigines with the newly-arrived inhabitants, N.K.Starkova makes the following: “Arrival of Russians to Kamchatka and its joining to Russia were the turning points in the history of the peninsula’s population. Russians brought with themselves higher material and mental culture and junction to it influenced positively on economy of aborigines”. [35, p.3]
On the other hand, the scientists emphasise the danger, appearing in case of intensive correlation of different ethnic cultures for people of minor ethnic
community. As a result the crisis of traditional culture starts, ethnic tension appears, ethnic marginality is formed; all these, no doubt, the influence on the process and results of the personality’s development. The ethnologist V.I.Iokhelson marks: ”After the full conquest of the Kamchadals, came the period of numerous militants, abused their power. Kamchatka entered the period characterized by the interest to indigenes. This period began in the end of the 18th century, can be called the period of “enlightened despotism”. Instead of development of traditional trades of the indigenes, the administration decided to introduce the trades typical for Russian civilization. The Kamchadals were made violently to build Russian houses, sow rye, grow vegetables and breed the cattle. These measures killed in the Kamchadals any initiative and energy; their individuality was absolutely destroyed”. [17, p.222]
V.G.Bogoraz also noticed “the influence of forced russianization” and reserved character and timidity, uncertainty of the population. So, he wrote about inhabitants of Kakhtana: ”Hotling remained at the
Koryaks from Koryak as well as from Russian. They even called themselves as their Kamchatka’s chiefs did “the Kamchadals”, they called “the Koryaks only reindeer breeders”. He also marked: «The absence of fairy tales is striking, I promised vodka, but nobody knew anything. They even didn’t want to confess that they had fairy tales because of their fear.” [6, p.138]
V.P.Margaritova writes:”There was the time, when it was possible to distinguish the Kamchadal from the Russian, now it is impossible to do it because everything was unified in “the Kamchatka’s inhabitant”, he cannot be distinguished by cheek-bones, forehead and eyes”. [26, p. 116] “The Kamchadals got the influence of the Russians and passed the habits and traditions to them, unified with them so quickly that it was impossible to distinguish them”. [26, p.110]
However, some elements of material and mental culture remained traditional. So, V.I.Jochelson writes: «The type of deer-raising economy has not been changed, and the contact with Russian civilization didn’t influence on it. This primitive material way of
life determines the correspondent condition of culture”. [17, p.18]
There is a fear of internationalized process that leads to the full exception of ethnic specific, changing unique ethnic cultures to universal, “ethnic nameless”. [16]
One cannot but agree with P.N.Fedoseev’s opinion, who notices: ”There are less people who wear national clothes, eat national food and live in their traditional houses, and there is almost nobody who used only national gear and means of travel. Ethnic tradition is replaced by the goods of manufacturing. It is stipulated by the general tendency of development of humanity in the 20th century. Material culture of Russians themselves has changed greatly for last decades.“P7, p.59]
We realize that these phenomena have deciding meaning in the analysis of ethno-psychological peculiarities of personality’s development, its socialization.
So, the facts, which unify the aborigines of Kamchatka, are the following:
1. Geographical (fitness to the severe scenery and natural climatic conditions of life).
2. Population-demographic (low
amount of population, compact habitation, dispersion on one territory) and anthropological (belonging to one arctic group).
3. Economic (close, ecologically dependent, “traditional economics” (Y.M.Plyusnin) as the models of life support, original social-economic way of life with traditional types of management: deer-raising, hunting, fishing, sea hunting).
4. Cultural historical (common polycultural area, similarity of historical and cultural development: customs, traditions, arts and crafts, song and dance arts, subjects of material and mental culture, closeness of language groups, likeness of languages).
5. Political (assimilative processes, peaceful character of relation with other peoples, absence of ethnic conflicts, wars during long period of time).
6. Social-psychological (adaptation of some socialization models).
It is known that ethnographical and ethno-psychological way of life researches
distinguish ethnic specific character of psychological behavior (M. Savva, A.A.Aygumova, T.A.Ratanova,
A.Shogenov...). Further we’ll examine the specific peculiarities of Kamchatka’s aborigines psychic.
Studying the problems which are far from psychology, the above-mentioned authors touched in their researches the psychological peculiarities of Kamchatka’s inhabitants, calling them “disposition”, “mental organization”, “bent, virtue, and vice”. This information is a valuable factual material, because it was collected by the authors in routes, expeditions and present objective observation and thoughts, based on them.
It is necessary to emphasize that the researches for the last few years show the scientist’s interests to psychological aspects of studying Kamchatka’s people and their way of life. So, the works of E.P.Batianova,
A.P.Volodina, R.Efremova, A.I.Kuznetsova, L.I.Missonova, O.Murashko, V.H.Neradovsky, Y.V.Chesnokov appeared. We did not find a single work devoted to the studying of psychological peculiarities of social formation and development of personality of Kamchatka’s aborigines, to analysis of the ethnic socialization stages in different age periods, to the definition of psychological specific in ethnic communities, living in polyethnic space of the given region. Such work has practical importance; it is claimed among specialists in education, psychologists, social workers.
This article is an attempt to distinguish some peculiarities of exploration of ethno-socio-cultural space which determine the specificity of Kamchatka’s people psychology.
In the specific natural climatic conditions of the North the proper physical type of a man was formed. The researches of the North (V.Jochelson, V.Bogoraz) marked out the specific traditions of hunters, deer-raisers and sea-hunters. They drew their attention to the Chukchis and the Eskimos conditions of habitation, meteorological, geographical, and flora and fauna peculiarities of their life. In such conditions, in V.Bogoraz’s opinion, life-asserting type of a man was formed, in labor process, as well as
in correspondence to some moral standards; in demonstration of sole in applied arts, rituals, folklore, and design of material culture -simplicity, elegancy and suitability of the houses’ forms, clothes, and means of travel, home utensils, and system of upbringing. Realizing themselves as the part of the nature, peoples of the North recognized self-value of the man’s life, its equivalence to animal and vegetation world, they brought up children with understanding of indulgent attitude to life, with the lack of the sense of property to sites of scenery. [6]
Descriptions made by G.V.Steller in the chapter “Character, tastes, virtues and vices of the Itelmeny” are of special interest in his work “Description of Land Kamchatka”. [36] “These people, - the author writes, are inclined either to good or evil, and they are like monkeys in this regard, they imitate everything, and they see good things, where they see the example of a Cossack”. Steller marks, “the more the Itelmeny communicate with Cossacks., the more they become cunning, lying, guileful and sham; the farther they are from Cossacks the more honesty and good qualities can be found in them”. [36, p.167]
G.V.Steller calls the wish of the Itelmen “to live happily and to be satisfied with their poverty” rather peculiar. He always mentions the following traits of character: “they absolutely don’t know ambitions”, “they are not scanty and greedy, and they don’t want to get more. They are not practical, they are careless and lazy”, “they don’t want to shatter their idle peace and quietness”,” they know nothing about sense of shame., that is why they are not grateful”, “ the Itelmen avoid any hopes and they appreciate only the present”, “ if the Itelman stands up against something, he will hold his ground all the life”. [36, p.240]
G.V.Steller writes about “mental organization of the Itelmeny”. In his opinion, they have “good intellectual faculties and vivid imagination, good memory, but they have no critical sense. Their natural talent is revealed in their fantastic and jolly fables, inventions, especially in music and singing.”, “they are so sensitive that by means of orders, supervision, teaching and personal example everything can be done from these people”.
Steller marks sex differences:”. women, however, surpass men greatly, who are more stupid, and slower”. [36, p.240]
K.Ditmar in the work “Trips and stay in Kamchatka in 1851-1855 of Karl von Ditmar (historical report) noticed: «The
Kamchadals are very much obedient, we can even say, they are absolutely humble. They carry out any order, even absurd”.[14, p.179]
In the book of E.P.Orlova “The Itelmeny” in the part “Anthropological and psychological peculiarities of the Kamchadals and Itelmeny” the author concentrates on description of physical type of the Itelmeny. [30]
In spite of the chapter’s title, in description of “psychological peculiarities” the author notices: «The character of the
Kamchadals - the Itelmeny (by 1926) has changed very much: they became phlegmatic, passive, reserved and even careless; they think a little about coming day. There were no fights at all among them; even the drunk Itelmen don’t raise voice and don’t speak quickly. There were no militancy and vindictiveness. The mental life has changed less and kept a lot of original national features”. [30, p.30]
B.A.Kuftin wrote about aborigines: «They peculiar by their characters full of energy, ability for trade, patience. But other arctic hunting people - the Chukchis are scanty, thrifty and they knack of putting by food”. [23, p.65]
It is not difficult to notice that the researches give only descriptive information about physical (anthropological) types of these people, and their behavior.
The opinions of the travelers about psychology and moral qualities of the Koryaks are extremely contradictory.
S.P.Krasheninnikov says about the Koryaks: ’’Everybody is rude, angry,
unwilling, vindictive and unmerciful people”, and he also writes:”. the Koryaks have their own virtue that differs from the Kamchadals, they are truthful and hard-working, they know shame.” He also says “settled Koryaks are stronger and braver than those who raise deer”. [22, p.202] V.P.Margaritov agrees with
S.P.Krasheninnikov and writes: «The
researcher was not right, calling the Kamchadals “rude”. Probably he wanted to
point out the absence of any civilization among the Kamchadals, not their rudeness. It is difficult to believe that meek modern (1899) Kamchadals could have rude and cruel ancestors”. [26, p.111]
K.Ditmar also considers, that the Koryaks are good-natured, honest, punctilious, truthful and don’t know the deceit. But if somebody touches their sense of honour or hurt them, their anger will be very long and they try to avenge. K.Ditmar writes that the inhabitants of Paren and Kamenskoe are very calm and militant or they have predatory temper, because of it they have a lot of enemies and nomadic Koryaks visit them only in case of absolute necessity. On the other hand, K.Ditmar says that the Koryaks who raise deer are honest, frank, and he did not want the demoralized influence to touch their pure patriarchal life. [14] V.I.Jochelson writes about honesty: ”The orders, for samples or things for collections which I made for the Koryaks, were implemented honestly and quickly”. He also marked their justice:”. blackmails of Cossacks and officials demanding not yasack, but furs and services for themselves were nasty for the Koryaks and for their love to freedom. Rebellious spirit of the Koryaks was not destroyed with the suppression of revolts. [17, p31]
G.Mendel considered that the Koryaks were guileful, bringing a lot of harm to Russians by their faulse submission and treacherous revolts. [27]
V.Voyt describes aborigines as sly, prudent, and economical from distrustfulness but in morals respect as shy, boastful being characterized by servility to strict and disrespect for affectionate people. [11]
N.V.Slyunin says that coastal Korayks are more developed, sensitive.more moral and sociable”, then the deer-breeders, but “they are not hospitable”, whereas “hospitality and help to needy is the distinctive feature of the nomadic Koryak”. [33, p.392]
V.P.Margaritov writes about it:”. the Koryak is extremely hospitable, kind and preventive. Shelter is offered to the guest, the best deer is slaughtered and any tired traveler always finds what he needs”. [26, p.106]
G.Kennan praises the Koryaks who
raise deer for honesty and hospitality, and the picture of the coastal Koryaks’ morals is not attractive. They, - G.Cennan says, - are cruel, rude by nature, impudent with everybody, vindictive, dishonest and lying. Settled Koryaks of the Penzhinsky strait, in G.Cennan’s opinion, are more rude and low-natured among the aborigines of all northeastern Siberia; people that gave a lot of trouble than all inhabitants of Siberia and Kamchatka. [18, p.233]
V.I.Jochelson thinks that the main traits of the character among coastal Koryaks and Koryaky - deerbreeders are the same. They are proud, independent, boastful, sensible to insult and try to avenge by all possible facilities. They are hospitable, and sociable with people whom they trust, they don’t keep hostility from people who are unfriendly to them. They aren’t afraid of death and nothing can frighten them. Suicides very often happened among them, and still happens as well as among the Chukchis; the reason of it could be death of relative, anger, quarrel, etc.
Because of these traits of character very often quarrels were finished by bloodshed. [17] Now, V.I.Jochelson writes, the Koryaks’ morals became milder, but you must remember about their stubbornness, severity and fearlessness when communicating with them. They are brave, self-confident, and independent. Every Koryak is the law for himself and the Master of his “ego”. [26, p.105]
The reason of discord in the characteristics of coastal and reindeer Koryaks V.I.Jochelson explains in the following was the deer people as nomadic could always go from unexpected visitors, and Russians didn’t know where to find their nomad camp; coastal Koryaks couldn’t avoid unexpected visitors and had to repulse.
Coastal Korayks are also hospitable, but they have nothing to offer to “the White”. White Man doesn’t eat seal meat and fat, even not all local Cossacks themselves eat the Koryaks’ food, it is insulting for the Koryak when the guest neglects the food. Besides, there is not enough food for the coastal Korayks. Deer breeder can always offer deer meat for “the White”. [17]
V.I.Jochelson wrote about psychic
virtues of the Korayks: ”The Korayks are slow, they speak idly, excep the cases when they are angry. We may say that their intellect works slowly, as his body, and they get tired very quickly”. But the author says that the Korayaks are curious. They listen to the stories about other people from different countries with a great interest. Everything new attracts their attention, but they are attentive not for a long time”. [17, p31]
The researcher notices: ”The Korayks left a very good impression at me. It is difficult to deal with them, while you don’t know their traditions. They are rough, rude; they are involved into argue very easily, if they don’t like something, they don’t flatter, they are truthful and frank, and kind when they have a good mood. In contacts between each other they were tactful and careful, they used plural forms and when they wanted to say something unpleasant they said it in a form of a hint and used the З"1 person singular”. And “they are ready to help to starving men, whoever they can be coastal Korayks or Russians, delivering deer to them”. [17, p35]
The topic of the socialization process of children is very important. Let’s turn to the researches who watch this process.
The first we must pay our attention in the process of socialization is the relation of parents to a birth of a child, to the issue of nursing for a baby, to the upbringing in the period of early childhood, as I.S.Con noticed, “parents relation to the children is connected with the culture and the past of the parents; and nothing can be changed”. [21, p^8]
In the ethnographic descriptions of Normadic Peoples the birth of a child is a happy event, the guests are invited to celebrate this event. This is called “the holiday of a woman”. [17]
The attitude to a child is hearty and loving. The Chukchy call their children “kayu”- “small calf’. V.G.Bogoraz wrote the childhood of the Chukchys was happy. The children are not frightened and restrained. They are given the best pieces of food, they are loved and guarded. [6]
V.I.Jochelson writes that the Koryaks love their children. They take care of them very well and pet them. [17] The children are bitten very seldom and they are gentle and
obedient. The authority of the elders is surprising. The Koryaks children liked their parents and it was very seldom when they disobeyed their father “when it is happens, -Y.I.Lindenau writes,- everybody scorns them”; but if the parents punish them they only slap them”. [24]
V.V.Antropova noticed that the Koryaks’ children were loved and the birth of a child was a great event in the family. Those families who did not have any children took charge of somebody else’s children and they became heirs. Issuelessness was a big unhappiness. It was the motive for divorce and one of the reasons of polygamy. If the wife was childless the Koryak was married for the second time at her request. [2]
Here is the description of attitude to children among other Normadic Peoples: ”The parents take care of their children. They created successful emotional surrounding for a child. There was the practice in every family about the care of a baby, ways of contacts with him, traditions of artistic appearance of his cot, clothes, shoes, the system of encouragement and punishment. They tried not to forbid to the children, satisfied of any their wish, had the wardship for not to get into troubles. The love to children manifests itself especially vivid in attitude to orphans”. [38; 30]The children were brought up by all parents, because they thought that there were no somebody else’s children, but who didn’t think so about him they say “he doesn’t like the child and spoil him”. Love and tenderness of the parents helped to form the sense of confidence to the parents, developed obedience, wish to follow their advice.
This rule was spread in many traditional cultures: the child belongs not only to mother and his father but to the community where he lives and the community takes part in his upbringing. The ethnographers mark “mobility” of the Oceania’s children in the 20th century: in the 50-60s about 61% of children lived not in the parents’ family, they moved from one family to another twice, three times and even four times. [8] The tradition of compulsory upbringing of the children outside the parents’ family was spread in early class society. [4] Not only the parents, but other tribal men learn the child to follow the
standards of behaviour, working methods, rights and duties to other people. This upbringing as M.Mid marks, “lead to the situation when the child gets used to think about the world as about something that is full of parents, and not about the place where his safety and happiness depend on keeping his relations with his own parents”. [28, p.264] Probably it is the heart of the ethnic socialization specific of aboriginal northern people on the early stages of their development.
Tribal settlement of aboriginal people -this is the type of widened family - determined (as L.V. Sokolova and O.A.Shaburova consider) different directions of social contacts of a child, forms of contacts, that helped to form ethno-specific features of the child’s personality. The child communicated not only with the adults but and with the children of different ages. Such communication kept its originality with methods of upbringing,
supplying the process of systematic social education and sexual behaviour. Widened families were more stable to unexpected difficulties and could promote survival of the ethnos. [34, p.40] As A.N.Frolova thinks, pedagogical system of Chukotki and Eskimos people has no modern analogues. [38] This system of upbringing still influences upon the development of a child and it is the factor causes the specific ethnic socialization of
aboriginal representatives, especially in the conditions of distant ethnic territories, national settlements, summer nomad camps etc.
So, let’s analyze the process of ethnic socialization of a man in the North.
The child from his birth shared the
difficulties with his parents, caused by
nomadic way of life and inclement climate. Physical conditioning was very important which was developed with children of north from early childhood. So the mother took the newborn in winter’s hard frost into the cold part of yaranga and in summer in the open air.
Steadiness to the cold was developed in the conditions of nomadic way of life. During moving the cradle with a baby was fixed to deer’s saddle and to the other side they hung pack bag.
It couldn’t be allowed to scold the child or to raise the hand on him in family’s
upbringing. Parents often asked advices from their small children. Every person has his own duties and must do it due to the fact kind relationships were established and conflicts put out.
The clothes were sewed for them in 4-5 years as for adults: upper garment, fur-cap; together with clothes they got their first toys-real small models of the women’s and men’s instruments of work. They handed over the boys bow and arrow, knife, sling. To the girls-bag, thimble, needles, sinew sewing, whisks, scrapers, woman’s knife for currying. The girl could boil the kettle in 4, could give drink to the guest, .........Growing up the girls of 10-
12 brought up younger; they helped their sisters, grandmother to sew the clothes, curry fells of polar fox and hare; they studied the ways of working they fur of fur-bearing animals and sea-animals, cut out deer skin for sewing the clothes. In tundra and taiga, women gathered fire-wood, eatable roots of sedge, herbal, damsons, and berries, near the costs of rivers and lakes- duck’s and geese’s eggs. The child reproduced, copied the actions, interrelations of parents.
Children adjusted to special food allowance (deer meat, meat and fat of sea animal), whale oil, fish, roots and herbals, berries, mushrooms) to special hardening of organisms.
National traditions demand from the children severe preparation for the life. That is why all spare time they spent in different physical competitions. The Chukchis love different competitions, expecting physical strength and adroitness, - wrote V.G.Bogoraz.-There were deer races in three or four days, with a wide variety of prizes from mangy wolfskin to expensive beaver. These races varied by running, wrestling, hurdle, gallop.[6]
So, the base of survival in the north conditions were hardening of a child’s organism. Nomadic and half nomadic way of life, long staying in the open air from the first day of birth promoted hardening and adaptation to the conditions of north, mobility of the children in the games and work developed them physically.
It was noticed by the researches, that “there were two extremes in the upbringing of
the children: a big love to them and the desire to put them to the complicated tests”. [38, p.40]
The trade of animals in severe conditions of north demanded endurances, strength, adroitness, courage. That is why the Korayks trained their sons from the early childhood. About these trainings the Koryaks told to N.N.Beretti: sensitiveness developed with the help of fire. Sneaking up the child, someone burnt him by the sharp glowing object. Training him in this way during his childhood the parents reached that the child jumped aside from the slightest rustle or touch”. [5]
Adroitness was trained by wrestling, running etc. Having finished the training, the father tested his son: he sent him somewhere, and then father slinked for him with a bow and threw it into him. If the youth learnt what the father inculcated from the childhood to him and if he was keen and adroit, he jumped aside and the arrow flied over, if not he was stroke by the arrow of his father. The children were accustomed to abstinence from excess food, creating “lightness of the body and accuracy breathe”; for the development of muscular system they made the children to make large transitions, arranging children’s contents in running, wrestling. [22]
The force was developed by the running with weight on the shoulders, which they enlarged day by day. The parents wanted the children to be adapted to the extreme conditions of the north. Gradually the children learnt that the peculiarities of their lodgings, clothes, instruments for the work, types of traditional occupations.
So, contests and specific physical exercises of north people are characterized by its universal influence on the development of a child. The main function of it - is the preparation of young people to the work in inclement environment. The whole socialization process of early stages was built on it.
The upbringing of children depending on their sex belonging began very early. The development realized by including them in traditional types of activities: in deer-raising, hunting, fishing- the boys; processing of fell, sewing the clothes and shoes, cooking food-
the girls. A lot of researches write about it. So, V.V.Antropova marks: «The children of the Koryaks were trained to work very early. The girls from 8-10 years began to help their mothers in housekeeping. In deer’s families the boys were studied the art of throwing lassos and operate deer relay, and from 10-12 years they worked in a herd by herdsmen. Children of nomadic Koryaks helped their parents during fishing period. The favorite occupation of 7-8 years old boys was training of puppies who they trained to ride in relay”. [2, p.107]
According V.I.Jochelson’s observation, children began to work since 10-12 years; the boys took part in all works of father. They helped him to fish, to bring firewood, and deer Koryaks helped to take care of herd. Boys passed severe school, to accustom themselves to bear cold and tiredness and hardship. Girls from the same age helped in housekeeping, currying the skins and sewing the clothes. [17]
I.S.Vdovin analyses the life of the Chukchis writes: «Children began to work early. Boys from early ages studied to use the knife, lasso, firearms, to put traps, to loop the loops for hares, partridges, to fish etc. They were taught to take care of herd in the early years. In 10-12 years they became day- then night-herdsmen. They passed severe school of deer-raiser life. They were taught to bear cold, to sleep in the open air, to be twenty-four hours in the herd in snowstorm and in rain. Girls were also taught to housekeeping, connected with nomadic way of life, very early. Their childhood ended in 8-10 years old. Then they became helpers of their mothers in housekeeping: they nursed the babies, curried the fells, twisted needles from tendons, sewed, embroidered etc. No seldom girls were taught to care for deer if they had no other helpers”. [10, p.223]
The life of everyday work made the children of north - adults. It was noticed by the scientists the main peculiarity of a child development:”.if in modern psychology-pedagogic literature in age periodization there was younger school age for pre-school age, in north the children of 7-8 years “passed on” youth period, which was finished in 14-15 and it was the age of puberty and “youth” as age period was lost”. [38, p.32]
The Chukchis considered that when a boy of 12 killed a wild deer that meant that he became a master of his work and could be permitted to the world of grown-ups. In ethnographic researches this event was called as “Consecrating to a hunter”. Every Chukchi’s family prepared a boy from early age to become a hunter. He had to do all admonitions thoroughly of grown-ups: to run for long distances, high jump, long jump, weightlifting, to wield of all types of hunter’s arms. The consecrating to a hunter was accompanied by the series of rituals. Knack of getting seal said about passage to youth age. The Eskimos considered that the boys could get married only when he became a lucky hunter. It is specific ceremony of initiation the way of advancement a new generation to social maturity, that change, in V.S.Muhina’s opinion, psychological status of a personality: ”Through initiations a child realizes claims for recognition, finds social puberty, confidence, a sense of responsibility for others and themselves. Going through initiations he acquires habits, providing luck and recognition that confirms his new place in tribal system”. [29, p.44]
A.Dyachkov wrote that the elder (father, grandfather) watched for interrelations between grown-ups and children. There were no threat, cry. Physical punishments, admonitions, he didn’t emphasize his main position in the family). There were no such qualities in children as obligingness or obsequiousness. The Chukchis encouraged taciturnity and reserve. A.Dyachkov noticed that it was an old tradition when the members of one family mustn’t talk with each other without any need, excluding husband and wife and also women. [15]
The teaching was without words on obvious cases. A child asked a little, he just watched his father put the deer sigh, repulsed it from a herd, did laying-in fells. The repetition of actions in similar conditions through definite interval of time promoted making firm habits and organized the behavior of children. The aim of this upbringing was to teach a child not only to do something, but to be laconic and reserved in work, cautious in speech;-only this way they could avoid troubles. That is why such qualities as
garrulity, boastfulness evaluated negatively.
The aborigines always tried to pass to their children ethnic norms of behavior, ethnic peculiarities of perception and understanding of the world, principals of using nature resources. The stereotype of ecologic thinking, unwritten rules of behavior in tundra, taiga, sea, norms of interrelations men with nature in different communities were passed to younger generation.
Grown-ups taught the children “to live in nature, without bringing harm”, they formed ecological traditions of trade: seasonal
prevalence of hunting. That is why for many centuries the culture of aborigines formed the system of ecological rules. The care of environment, animals, nature formed the behavior of north’s people.
Of course, the conditions in which a person was formed, defined the peculiarities of a man’s psychic. Isolation, severe climate, need formed the following qualities of aborigines: thrift, persistence, industry,
sharpness and resource. The way of north people’s life put the base of their psychic cast and fixed qualities of a personality: physical staying power, freedom in actions, independence, laconic and understanding of their originality. Everything that was said earlier proved the existence of special ethnic matter of the first stages of socialization; it was caused by the specific of living in traditional conditions of north, forms of management and norms of behavior that influenced on the development of a personality of aborigines and on the forming of their ethnic psychological originality.
The analysis of ethnographic and historic cultural sources showed that the process of ethnic socialization of Kamchatka’s aborigines proceeded harmoniously, the stages changed each other in consecutive order, traditional institutions of socialization functioned effectively, providing stability, steadiness of identification on every stage. Nowadays there were considerable changes in the system of traditional institutions of assimilative processes (loss of native languages, loss of the elements of national life, beliefs, customs, traditions) that influenced on
the whole process of ethnic socialization of aborigines.
The special program was worked out for the learning of ethnic socialization of ethnic communities on the modern stage that supposed several stages of work. Aborigines of Kamchatka of two age groups composed the empiric base of research, living in different regions of Kamchatka: Petropavlovsk-
Kamchatski, Elizovo, Milkovo, Palana KAR, Anavgay, Esso. The choice of respondents for research supposed the registration of their living, specific of socio cultural surrounding, peculiarities of passing early stages of socialization.
Social-psychological peculiarities of forming ethnic identity of Kamchatka’s aborigines were studied in experimental-field research in the period from June 2000 to August 2002.
In this article we’ll show some results of ethno-psychological originality research of these ethnos representatives.
The studying of realizing personal qualities was held with the help of content-analyze of descriptions, typical representative of nationality and self descriptions of teenagers and grown-ups: it was studied 98 self descriptions, for 49 in every age group. During treatment of the research results the methods of statistic treatment of given values was used. Nonparametric criteria of angular transformation of Fisher were used for statistic truth of differences. The levels of significance were P=0, 05; 0, 01; 0,001.
Representations about ethnic qualities were investigated with the help of following questions:
1) Can you call the traits of character of your people? Describe please those qualities that characterize typical representative of your nationality.
2) Say, what differs you
(personally) as the representative of your nationality from other people?
From all received data the most frequent answers were selected and arranged. The representative qualities are summarized in the following table № 1.
Table № 1
Frequency of self description categories of Kamchatka’s aborigines
Category Teenagers Adults Authenticity of differences
number % rank number % rank
Appearance 17 24.6 1 2 1.2 7 (-)4 3***
Interests 6 8.7 6 1 0.6 8 (-)2.8**
Qualities of a personality
Intellectual 3 4.3 7 9 5.5 6 1.3
Resolute 8 11.6 5 21 12.9 5 1.2
Reflexive 9 13.2 4 37 22.8 1 1.9*
Communicative 11 15.9 3 35 21.5 3 2.1*
Emotional 12 17.4 2 22 13.4 4 (-)2.4*
Moral 3 4.3 7 36 22.1 2 4 4***
Sum total 69 100 163 100 8 4***
Note: * p=0, 05, **p=0, 01, ***p=0,001.
In the results we can see trust differences in self descriptions of teenagers and grown-ups. We may maintain that grown-ups reflected more deep personal characteristics to themselves and representatives of their people. In self descriptions of teenagers external peculiarities and emotional qualities of a personality were established. Reflexive qualities in our research as typical for representatives of ethnic groups are main in selection of grown-ups.
The truth of differences is 9=1, 9(p<0, 05). In the group of teenagers moral qualities are 4,3%, rank is 7, in group of grown-ups is 22,1% and rank is 2. The truth of differences is 9=4, 4 (p<0, 01). Comparing frequency of opinion about communicative qualities is (p<0, 05), rank in both groups is 3. There was negative dynamics of changes according such categories as “appearance”, “interests”, “emotional qualities” in group of adults. Mature personality is interested in inner world more than teenagers. Communicative and reflexive qualities began more important than emotional. The ranks of “intellectual qualities’ and “determined qualities” categories weren’t changed very much. The analysis of given qualities allows to find the tendencies according themselves and representatives of their people.
Kamchatka’s aborigine is an honest man, friendly, trustful, frank, sincere, always ready to help, patient, industrious, persistent, he knows and understands environment, observant. He is always calm, steady, modest, and laconic. Characteristic features of north people are hospitality, liberality, love to children, sensitiveness to jokes, humor. We found the same characteristic in ethno graphical and historic cultural researches of aborigines, made several centuries ago. [22; 24; 30; 36]
So, national psychological portrait of aborigines is not changed. We hope that representation of ethnic originality, unique, and value will strengthen in the consciousness of Kamchatka’s aborigines.
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