Ethnical Identity and Ethno-Cultural Needs of the Russian Urban Population in the Republic of Tatarstan

Abstract

This article considers the features of “ethnic culture” and its place in the everyday and spiritual life of the Russian urban population of the Republic of Tatarstan. Its symbolic and functional importance for various sociodemographic groups is explored. The population of Tatarstan is viewed as a single historical and ethnographic community descending from the Great Russians of the Volga region. The structure of the social identity types and the characteristics of ethno-cultural group practices are described. Special attention is paid to how social space and ethno-cultural needs are related. The comparative analysis of different social groups of the urban and rural Russian residents of Tatarstan is carried out. The study employs the hermeneutic approach to decipher social phenomena with symbolic meanings. The theoretical insights and generalizations are based on the materials of a comprehensive ethno-sociological study performed on the modern Russian population of Tatarstan in 2022 with the help of both quantitative (mass survey) and qualitative (in-depth interviews, focus group) methods. The results obtained show a direct relationship between the type of ethnic identity and the level of ethno-cultural needs among the Russian urban population of Tatarstan. It is also concluded that many ethno-cultural practices, from the ritualized tradition to personal interiorization, have transformed under the influence of the socio-cultural landscape of the city.