Transformation Features of the Role of Men in Tuvan Society

Abstract

In modern humanities, including Tuvan studies, gender research is being widely developed. The problems of gender relations, the change of gender roles and statuses, and the feminization of society are only a small part of gender problems in modern Tuvan society. It is worth noting that gender research in Tuvan studies has an apparent bias towards the ‘women's issue’, the main theme of which was the ‘emancipation’ of the Tuvan woman in the 20th century. In the center of the gender research, not only in Russia, but also beyond its borders, there were mainly women. Less attention was paid to the ‘male’ topic, and it remained on the periphery of gender analysis for a long time. In this regard, the author of the article attempts to study the causes and features of the transformation of the role of men in Tuvan society. In the traditional Tuvan society, a man had the most important functions: social, political, and economic. Therefore, the man, being the central link, has always been a head of the family. The Tuvan man was both a breadwinner and a defender of the family. Men's work was considered more difficult and productive; mainly it was associated with cattle breeding, agriculture, and hunting. According to the traditional ideas of Tuvans, reflected in legends and folklore, a man, first of all, was associated with a warrior who defends justice and protects his native land, his family, clan and tribe from all kinds of troubles, enemy invasions. Significant changes in Tuvan society began in the 1930s century and continued after Tuva joined the USSR; the Soviet model of development was adopted in Tuva. The changes had caused not only positive, but also negative results, particularly, the destruction of traditional culture, detachment from spiritual education, ethical norms developed by Tuvans over the centuries. One of the consequences of these changes was the weakening of the role of men as the head of the family and his role in the upbringing of children. Several problems have arisen: a reduction in the number of men, low life expectancy, male mortality, low indicators of men's health, alcoholism, crime, unemployment, psychological and social problems, etc. Also, the article pays attention to the solutions of the identified problems adopted by the Tuvan society in the present time.