The empirical studying of the ethnoidentity (On the example of Russians and Tatars of the Republic of Tatarstan)

Abstract

© 2015 by the authors. The relevance of the studied problem is caused by the variety of reasons. First of all, the ethnos is the most reliable group, that ensures the safety and the support in the life, secondly—the ethnic community strengthens the feeling of the intra group unity, thirdly, the ethnos provides the continuity of transfer and preservation of the values of the community; fourthly, the ethnic identity is more accurately realized if the person lives in the multiethnic environment. The purpose of the article consists in the clarification of the role of bilingualism in the formation of the ethnic identity of Russians and Tatars, since its impact on the consciousness of their ethnic identity and orientation on the national-cultural values remains debatable. The available empirical information is rather fragmentary and casual. The leading method of the research is the comparative approach to the study of the influence of the bilingualism on the formations of the ethnic identity of Russians and Tatars. The main result of the research is the evidence of such fact that the understanding of the identity is defined by the place of the residence (the city, the village), by the occupation (the intellectual, the worker), and by the social environment (the mono or bilingual environment). The materials of the article can be used in educational institutions when drawing up the curricula, taking into account the regional and Federal component of the humanitarian disciplines.