THE POTENTIAL OF THE CATEGORY “ETHNICITY” (ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE ETHNIC IDENTITY OF RUSSIAN GERMANS)

Abstract

Since the end of the 20th century, in connection with the formation of many independent states, the actualization of ethnic identity through various factors of ethnicity has become particularly important. There is a renewed interest in existing theories of ethnicity. At the beginning of the article scientific views on the subject of essential characteristics of ethnicity are considered, psychological factors of ethnic self-identification of a person are revealed. Then, based on the example of Russian Germans as an ethnic group, the factors of ethnic self-consciousness actualization at the present stage are examined. The text pays attention to the mechanisms of shaping the image of "us", common ethnic interests and the sense of belonging to the group. The method of ethno-sociological interviewing, conducted in 2020, included observation and interviewing during ethnographic expeditions to Omsk, Novosibirsk regions and Altai Krai were used to solve the set tasks. We also monitored the activities of public organizations of Russian Germans in the media and on Internet portals. It was found that at the present stage the key role in the process of updating the ethnic identity of the group is played by non-governmental organizations of Russian Germans, which form a corresponding common image through the creation of fiction, memoirs, popular science and educational literature, documentaries and feature films. The self-organization of Germans also shapes the ethnic interests of the group, the main of which is the creation of conditions for the realization of ethno-cultural potential. At the end of the article we conclude that the ethnic identity of Germans is complex and multilayered in its composition. It is influenced by the historical past of the group, the place of residence, the competence in the native language, religion, and social organizations. According to many members of the ethnic group, being born into a German family is enough to feel German