PSYCHOLOGICAL ASPECT OF ETHNIC FACTOR

OF RITES AND TRADITIONS

Orazbaeva F.SH., (Kazakhstan), professor Department of the State Language, Kazakh National Pedagogical University named after Abay

Starting from 60-70^th of previous century the processes characterized with intention of people to keep up their originality, to outline unique of everyday culture and psychological constitution took shape in world scale with a surge of many millions of people awareness of their belonging to certain ethnos http://www.gumer.info/bibliotek_Buks/Psihol/stef/01.php - _ftn1 – national self-consciousness or ethnic identity if using more usual term for psychologist.

The phenomena touched population of many countries of all continents was even named as ethnic paradox of today at the very beginning because of it accompanies always growing unification of spiritual and material culture.

But at present time ethnic renaissance is a one of the basic features of humanity development in second part of the 20^th century. Almost countrywide interest to own roots of separated peoples and whole nations is in very different forms: from attempts to reanimate ancient rites and customs, folklorization of professional culture, search of “enigmatic national soul” up to intention to create or reanimate their national statehood. And if in all the world representatives of different sciences already more than 30 years study ethnic renaissance, in former USSR the process went in opposite direction: national communities not only blossomed out but became closed and national question was entirely solved. Indeed the situation in our country was not differing from international and many nations noticed the growth of ethnic identity and ethnic solidarity.

But if in the life of contemporary human the awareness on his/her own belonging to certain nation, search of his/her peculiarities – including peculiarities of psychic – play so important role and seriously influence on relations between people – from interpersonal till intergovernmental, the study of psychological aspect of ethic factor is utterly necessary. There is necessity to develop ethnopsychology as well as other sciences like ethnosociology, ethnopolitology analyzing from different sides numerous “national” problems arose before contemporary society. Ethnopsychologists urged to clarify reasons of so often misunderstanding appeared during contacts of representatives of different nations; are there any psychic peculiarities conditioned by culture which make members of one nation ignore, look dawn upon somebody or discriminate representatives of other nation; are there any psychological phenomena promoted the growth of interethnic tendency and interethnic conflicts. There is a question on psychological reasons of the growth of ethnic identity at our time among many of questions required to be answered.

In conditions of extremely social instability an ethnos often act as support emergency group. Exactly in such period which is our country goes through the human being used to be oriented first of all on ethnic communities and quite often exaggerate positive difference of his/her own community from others.

Many people “absorbed in” such subcultures but for the majority it is necessary to hitch to something more stable, to more sustainable group in the period of destruction of social system. Like in other countries experienced the epoch of extremely social instability, such groups it turned out of generationless communities – family and ethnos in Russia. It should not be forgot that ethnic identity is the most available form of social identity exactly in our country: self-identify with “nation” for the majority of citizens is not a difficulty because of soviet passport system made “nationality” to race category detected by “blood” (origin of parents) whereas in all civilized world this phenomena means citizenship.

With the help of understanding of their belonging to ethnos which lost support in life of former USSR citizens who intent to find an exit from the condition of social despondency and helplessness, to feel themselves as a part of community which has definitely attractive features.

What is an ethnos? L.N.Gumilev considers an ethnos as geographic, natural phenomena but not as a social. For this distinctive researcher an ethnos “is those or another collective of people (movement system) opposed itself to all another analogue collective (“we» and “not we”), that has own special internal structure and original stereotype of behavior” (Gumilev, 1993, p. 285). He thinks basic signs of ethnos to be psychological features as: self-consciousness (or identity) and stereotype of behavior he took as a norm of relations between group and individuals. For better comprehension what is a behavior stereotype, Gumilev gives an example of typical behavior of different nation’s representatives in the tram where violent drunk came in. On opinion of researcher, Russian “will say some sacramental words”, Gerrman will call policeman, Tatar will stay at some distance and Georgian “will hold of offender’s shirt front and try to throw him out of tram” (Gumilev, 1990, p. 87).

Gumilev underlines that stereotypes of behavior are forming at first years of child life that means belonging to ethnos is not inherited but gaining in the process of socialization. He means not education in narrow sense of word but forming in certain cultural sphere. And in this case scientist finds intelligible example of his mother Anna Akhmatova which was educated in her childhood by French governess and spoke French that did not make harm to became the Great Russian poet. But when child behavior stereotypes formed, they could not be changed in full even he will move to another country, learn another language and culture.

There are few explanatory concepts of ethic renaissance of the second part of 20^th century in the world science. Different sociological schools explain the growth of ethnic identity:

а) reaction of nations lagged behind development to economic and technological expansion of more developed nations generating ethno cultural division of labor;

б) world social competition as a result of intensification of interethnic cooperation in spite of unification of material and spiritual culture;

в) raising of big social groups influence in economics and politics and facilitation of processes of its unity due to mass communications. At that it is asserts that exactly ethnic communities are in more advantageous situation than other big groups, for instance classes.

Psychologist is interested in ethnos first of all as psychological community able to fulfill important functions for every human being:

1) To orient in surrounded environment delivering relatively orderly information;

2) To specify common life values;

3) To protect responding not only for social but physical well-being. A human being always needs to feel himself as a part of “we” and ethnos is not a single group in understanding of belonging to which man looking support in life. A support is not enough sustainable because of composition of groups always renews, terms of existence are limited in time and person could be excluded out of group for any fault. Ethnic community has no all of these shortcomings. This is intergeneration group, its sustainable in time, stability characterizes composition and every person has sustainable ethnic status, it is impossible to “exclude” him out of ethnos. Thanks to these qualities an ethnos is safe group of support to people.

Of course, there are another stable bog groups except ethnic. There were even more groups at earlier stages of humankind development. Today traditional societies also have groups which fulfill value-oriented and protective function better then modern ethnos. So, information received from them not only homogeneous and ordered but need definite, impeccable precise fulfillment of many rites accompanying every step of human being from birth till death and all his economical activity. Cultures of such groups oriented on forefathers and traditions, Margaret Mid (1901-1978), great American ethnologist, named postfigurative. It is impossible to characterize peculiarities of such cultures better then Mid: «Postfigurative culture is the culture where every change passes slowly and imperceptibly that grandfathers holding newborn grandchildren in their hands could not imagine any other future different from their own past. The past of adults is the future for every new generation; one’s past is a scheme of future for their children…They needed elderly people to keep such culture and not only to bring group of people to new places in periods of hunger but to be complete sample of life as it is… Answers on questions: “Who am I?” What is essence of my life as representative of my culture? Which way should I speak, move, eat, sleep, love, earn for life, meet a death?”, – are prejudged. (Mid, 1988, p.322-325).

Modern ethic communities have no such indisputable traditions and stable picture of world, many elements of their culture are washing away – economical activity, dwelling, food, art are internalized. Ethnos considerably tear away from traditions, behavior of forefathers does not consider as model by group members.

According to Mid’s terminology, they are configurative cultures in which “…prevailed model of people’s behavior is behavior of their contemporaries” (Mid, 1988, p.342). But there is no rupture between generations. There are always layers of culture allowed to understand its belongings to ethnic community: languages, religion, myths about common forefathers, and historical memory rich with heroic deeds or common sufferings. More over, in today world there is psychological shift in people’s mood like huge interest to roots. This frame of mind is a consequence of international conflicts, danger of nuclear war, ecological threat. Human being feels instability of world, his optimism and wish to look ahead decrease. More and more people, even young, inclined to look backwards and deep into, search for support and protection in stable values of forefathers. That is why exactly intergeneration stable communities, ethnos at first in spite of foretold by Mid and actually appeared tendencies to their destruction gain such substantial meaning in contemporary man’s life.

One of psychological reason of growth of ethnic identity in the second part of 20^th century is a search of orienteer and stability in information oversaturated and instable world. Second psychological reason is intensification of interethnic conflicts as direct (labor migration, students exchanges, moving of millions of immigrants and refugees, tourism) as well as indirect contacts like modern mass communications facilities from satellite television to Internet network. коммуникации от спутникового телевидения до сети «Интернет». Repeating contacts actualize ethnic identity. Psychological reasons of growth of ethnic identity are equal for all mankind but special importance ethnos obtains in epoch of radical social transformations leading to social instability.

Considering psychological aspects of ethnic factor of rites and traditions in Kazakh family which is usually presented by three or four generations (elderly people, family of son, family of grandson and family of great grandson).

They were united not too and not only their economical interests, but their interests of blood relationship. The head of the family is father. All problems of everyday life (funerals, moving, visits of guests, marriage of sons and etc.) were decided by father. He exactly strengthened family ties on the base of education to love, kind attitude to each other, sharing of duties between members of family. Unity and friendliness are two qualities that exactly strengthened Kazakh family.

And sphere of traditions is more complicated sphere targeted on formation of spiritual-moral merits. Non-regulating order of execution that or other Actions, tradition put accent attention on forming of consciousness perception that or other moral norms, principles, laws that promote to elaborate position of views because of they perceived not by force of automatic fulfillment but consciously. Tradition gained such way become the part of his principle of life that is constant development and forming of subject of ethnos to whom culture, history and traditions of it own nation are important. And more over education of spiritual- moral qualities as higher level in development and formation of personality come to be taking into account that children since early age have habits to fulfill that or other actions and at that stage they understand their own actions that is they start to understand purpose and content of customs.

Ceremonies promote fixing of these positions and their solid penetration into consciousness of children and youth.

It is known that rite always accompanied with critical moments of man’s life, it accumulates thoughts and feelings generated by important events in the life of person (born of child, entrance to school, marriage and etc.). Rite is a sign of transition to new period of development and in this meaning Kazakh ethnopedagogy includes following rites connected with stages of child development “kursak toy” –is the rite, “shildekhana” – the rite means birth of child; “at koyu”, “besik toy” –“to put into cradle”; “tysau kesu” –“intersect of fetters (on feet); “atka mingizu” – the rite means “to sit child on horse”; “syrga tagu” – marriage proposal; “sundet toy” – “circumcision”, initiation to “djigits”; «betashar» – the rite of initiation to became daughter-in-law, transition to new etnosocial role “kelin” and others.

Big educational importance of traditions, customs and rites permits to refer them to ethnopedagogical sphere of knowledge. They accumulated for centuries in pedagogical culture of Kazakh people when only best was selected and obsolete, not corresponding to wishes and spirit of people was rejected. In modern practice of education mentioned means of ethnic education could be used taking into account strict differensation on content, form as well as conditions of realization.

Kazakh ethnos characterizes such behavior:

- Behavior of collectivistic cultures in large scale reflects group norms then individual guidelines;

- Relations between parents and children almost sacramental;

- Kazakh people accepted to show modesty while public appraisal of one’s achievements;

- Kazakh people accepted to make gifts in those cases when in Europe accepted to pay money.

Thus, Kazakh ethnos has special psychological aspects that make it differ from other ethnos. Special meaning in education of Kazakhs plays their orienteer on education of obedience and responsibility, usually via participation in economical activity and domestic activity; special place paid to education of care, help to younger brothers and sisters.