Sections of cultural studies are built according to the following two criteria. Disciplines related to cultural studies

Fundamental cultural studies

Purpose: theoretical knowledge of the phenomenon of culture, development of a categorical apparatus and research methods

Ontology of culture

Variety of definitions of culture and perspectives of knowledge, social functions and parameters. The ontology of culture is the fundamental principles and concept of the existence of culture

Gnoseology of culture

Foundations cultural knowledge and its place in the system of sciences, internal structure and methodology

Morphology of culture

The main parameters of the functional structure of culture as a system of forms of social organization, regulation and communication, cognition, accumulation and transmission of social experience

Cultural semantics

Ideas about symbols, signs and images, languages ​​and texts of culture, mechanisms of cultural communication

Anthropology of culture

Ideas about the personal parameters of culture, about a person as a "producer" and "consumer" of culture, about a person as a subject of culture.

Sociology of culture

Ideas about social stratification and spatial and temporal differentiation of culture, about culture as a system of social interaction

Social Dynamics of Culture

Ideas about the main types of socio-cultural processes, the genesis and variability of cultural phenomena and systems

Historical dynamics of culture

Ideas about the evolution of forms of socio-cultural organization

Philosophy of culture - considers culture from a certain unified point of view, reflecting the views of one or another author.

Applied Cultural Studies

Purpose: forecasting, designing and regulation of actual cultural processes taking place in social practice

Applied aspects of cultural studies

Ideas about cultural policy, functions of cultural institutions, goals and methods of activity of the network of cultural institutions, tasks and technologies of socio-cultural interaction, including the protection and use of cultural heritage.

Culturology today includes a fairly wide range of disciplines that study culture in its infinitely diverse aspects using various methods.

The structure of cultural studies constitute three layers of sciences about culture:

anthropological , based primarily on ethnology, i.e., a science that studies the composition, origin and cultural and historical relations between the peoples of the world;

humanistic , including the whole complex of the so-called sciences "about the spirit"(philosophy, philology, pedagogy, psychology, etc.);

sociological , where the determining factor is the study of modern mass culture, ways of its production and functioning and society.

Functions of cultural studies as the sciences are in some sense traditional. epistemological(cognitive) function is common to science as a whole. In relation to cultural studies, it has a specificity, due to the need to combine various principles and methods of understanding the world, inherent in science, art, religion, philosophy.

Heuristic the function of cultural studies is set based on the understanding of culture as a dialogue. Culture in its various manifestations (for example, the cultivation of cultivated plants and domestic animals, the manufacture of products, crafts, the creation of monuments of artistic culture, etc.) is created not only by an individual learning and activity subject, but also by entire groups of people. This creation is accompanied by mutual understanding, co-creation, collective learning and the invention of new forms of culture. Closely related to heuristic educational cultural function. In other words, collective learning and solving problems facing a given culture is accompanied by the upbringing of individuals entering the world of culture of the past and present, the world of culture of human relations. In turn, the elements of the educational function are aesthetic, ethical and legal functions oriented towards the formation of a person's political, legal and moral culture, that is, what we call a culture of behavior. And one more function of cultural studies should be highlighted - worldview. In fact, it belongs to the philosophy of culture, which is an integral part of cultural studies. The purpose of the ideological function in this case is to identify, as it were, the spiritual core that determines the cultural aspirations of one or another historical era, as well as the formation of an artistic, religious or scientific picture of the world. For example, for Russian culture of the XIX century. the pivotal problem was the historical fate of Russia, which found such a diverse solution in the work of A. S. Pushkin, the ideological confrontation between Slavophiles and Westerners, in the book of N. Ya. ideas."

The morphology of culture is a section of cultural studies that studies the internal organization of culture, its constituent blocks. According to the classification of M. S. Kagan, there are three forms of objective existence of culture: a human word, a technical thing and social organization, and three forms of spiritual objectivity: knowledge (value), project and artistic objectivity, which carries artistic images. According to the classification of A. Ya. Flier, culture includes clear blocks of human activity: culture social organization and regulation, culture of knowledge of the world, man and interpersonal relations, culture of social communication, accumulation, storage and transmission of information; culture of physical and mental reproduction, rehabilitation and recreation of a person. The morphology of culture is the study of the variations of cultural forms depending on their social, historical, geographical distribution. The main methods of cognition are structural-functional, semantic, genetic, general theory systems, organizational and dynamic analysis. The morphological study of culture involves the following directions studies of cultural forms: genetic (the generation and formation of cultural forms); microdynamic (the dynamics of cultural forms within the life of three generations: direct transmission of cultural information); historical (dynamics of cultural forms in historical time scales); structural-functional (principles and forms of organization of cultural objects and processes in accordance with the tasks of meeting the needs, interests and demands of members of society).

Within the framework of cultural studies, the morphological approach is of key importance, since it allows us to identify the ratio of universal and ethno-specific characteristics in the structure of a particular culture. The general morphological model of culture - the structure of culture - in accordance with the current level of knowledge can be represented as follows:

• o three levels of connection of the subject of socio-cultural life with the environment: specialized, translational, ordinary;
• o three functional blocks of specialized activities: cultural modes of social organization (economic, political, legal culture); cultural modes of socially significant knowledge (art, religion, philosophy, law); cultural modes of socially significant experience (education, enlightenment, mass culture);
• o ordinary analogues of specialized modalities of culture: social organization - household, manners and customs, morality; socially significant knowledge - ordinary aesthetics, superstitions, folklore, practical knowledge and skills; transmission of cultural experience - games, rumors, conversations, advice, etc.

Thus, in a single field of culture, two levels are distinguished: specialized and ordinary. ordinary culture - a set of ideas, norms of behavior, cultural phenomena associated with the daily life of people. Specialized the level of culture is divided into cumulative (where professional socio-cultural experience is concentrated, accumulated, values ​​of society are accumulated) and translational. At the cumulative level, culture acts as a relationship of elements, each of which is a consequence of a person's predisposition to a certain activity. These include economic, political, legal, philosophical, religious, scientific, technical and artistic culture. Each of these elements at the cumulative level corresponds to an element of culture at the ordinary level. They are closely related and influence each other. Economic culture corresponds to housekeeping, family budget management; political - mores and customs; legal culture- morality; philosophy - an ordinary worldview; religions - superstitions and prejudices, folk beliefs; scientific and technical culture - practical technologies; artistic culture - ordinary aesthetics (folk architecture, the art of decorating a home). At the translational level, interaction between the cumulative and everyday levels takes place, and cultural information is exchanged.

There are communication channels between the cumulative and ordinary levels:

• o the field of education, where the traditions, values ​​of each of the elements of culture are transmitted (transferred) to subsequent generations;
• o mass media (MSK) - television, radio, print, where there is an interaction between "high scientific" values ​​and values Everyday life, works of art and popular culture;
• o social institutions, cultural institutions where knowledge about culture and cultural values become available to the general public (libraries, museums, theaters, etc.).

Levels of culture, their components and interaction between them are reflected in fig. one.

The structure of culture includes: substantive elements that are objectified in its values ​​and norms, and functional elements that characterize the process itself. cultural activities, its various sides and aspects.

Thus, the structure of culture is a complex, multifaceted formation. At the same time, all its elements interact with each other, forming single system such a unique phenomenon as culture appears before us.

The structure of culture is a system, the unity of its constituent elements.

The dominant features of each of the elements form the so-called core of culture, acting as its fundamental principle, which is expressed in science, art, philosophy, ethics, religion, law, the main forms of economic, political and social organization, mentality and way of life. Specialist

Rice. one.

The identity of the "core" of a particular culture depends on the hierarchy of its constituent values. Thus, the structure of culture can be represented as a division into a central core and the so-called periphery (outer layers). If the core provides stability and stability, then the periphery is more prone to innovation and is characterized by relatively less stability. For example, modern Western culture often called a consumer society, since it is precisely these value bases that are brought to the fore.

In the structure of culture, material and spiritual cultures can be distinguished. AT material culture includes: the culture of labor and material production; culture of life; topos culture, i.e. place of residence (dwellings, houses, villages, cities); culture of attitude to one's own body; physical education. Spiritual culture acts as a multi-layered formation and includes: cognitive (intellectual) culture; moral, artistic; legal; pedagogical; religious.

According to L. N. Kogan and other culturologists, there are several types of culture that cannot be attributed only to material or spiritual. They represent a "vertical" section of culture, "penetrating" its entire system. These are economic, political, ecological, aesthetic cultures.

Until recently, culture was studied, including in higher education, within the framework of long-established scientific disciplines: philosophy, history, linguistics, ethnography, art history, archeology. Traditional sciences studied certain types and elements of culture: language, law, morality, art. However, it gradually became clear that such an approach is narrow and does not give a holistic view of culture as a complex, multifaceted phenomenon, represented in all spheres of public life. In the middle of the 20th century, the formation of cultural studies began as a general, integral science of culture, as an independent scientific discipline.Culturology gradually acquires its status, subject, appropriate research methods. The term "culturology" itself has been used since the beginning of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, an American scientist L. White (1900-1975)introduced the term "culturology" into a wide scientific circulation and substantiated the need for a general theory of culture.

At present, culturology has not yet completely separated from philosophy and specific sciences. It is formed on the basis of these sciences and takes a lot from them: the categorical apparatus, principles, methodology and research methods.

At the present stage cultural studies It appears as a science that studies culture as a complex system that is in constant development and in relationships with other systems and society as a whole.

Culturology includes two main sections:

Theoretical cultural studies;
- empirical and applied cultural studies.

To theoretical level includes all types of knowledge of culture, which provide the development and construction of a scientific theory of culture, i.e. a logically organized system of knowledge about culture, its essence, patterns of functioning and development. In the system of theoretical knowledge of culture, general and particular theories of culture are distinguished. To the main problems general theory of culture include the problems of its essence, structure, functions, genesis, historical dynamics, typology. Private theories of culture study certain spheres, types and aspects of culture. Within their framework, economic, political, legal, moral, aesthetic, religious culture, the culture of everyday life, the service sector, management, the culture of the individual, the culture of communication, and the management of culture are studied.

To empirical level includes those forms of scientific knowledge of culture, thanks to which the accumulation, fixation, processing and systematization of material about specific cultures and their components is ensured. The empirical level provides the most concrete, detailed and diverse knowledge about culture.

Applied Cultural Studies uses fundamental knowledge about culture in order to solve practical problems, as well as to predict, design and regulate cultural processes.

The theoretical and empirical levels of the study of culture are organically interconnected and presuppose each other. Empirical research provides material for theoretical generalizations and is a criterion for testing the truth and effectiveness of a theoretical concept. The theory logically combines empirical data and gives them a semantic explanation, interpretation.

In addition, theory guides empirical research. Whether the researcher is aware of it or not, it is the theory, the theoretical idea, the idea that provide guidance on what to study, how to study, and why to study.

2) Eastern Mediterranean - home of three world religions.

In the world-historical process, different religions play different roles.

The most noticeable, as indicated, is performed by those that are accepted

call the world according to the number of believers: Buddhism, Christianity, Islam.

It was these religions that showed maximum adaptability to changing

social relations and went far beyond the territory where

originally arose. The religions of the world have never remained unchanged, and

transformed in accordance with the course of history. Origin of the world

religions is no different from the origin of religions in general. They have become global

immediately, but only in the course of the historical process.

Buddhism originated in India in the 6th-5th centuries. BC e. under the dominance

slaveholding relations. Early Buddhism is characterized by the desire

indicate a way out of the plight of people in the recognition of their spiritual equality,

supposedly enabling everyone to seek salvation, regardless of their

social position. Formed at the beginning as one of the many sects

(or philosophical schools) of North India, Buddhism then spread widely

throughout India, and later in the countries of South, Southeast and Central Asia. He

showed great plasticity, incorporating religious beliefs and cultures

different countries.

Christianity, originating originally in the Eastern Mediterranean in

Jewish ethnic environment as one of the sects of Judaism, later, although not immediately,

but decisively broke with this maternal basis, entering into

contradiction. Almost ousted from its homeland, Christianity found

extraordinary power of expansion. In the 1st century n. e. it spread among the slaves -

freedmen, poor or disenfranchised, conquered or dispersed by Rome

peoples. And then, in the course of the historical process, it penetrated into all zones of the earthly

ball.

This was largely facilitated by the rejection of Christianity from ethnic,

social restrictions and sacrifices. The main ideas of Christianity -

the redemptive mission of Jesus Christ, the second coming of Christ, the Last Judgment,

heavenly reward, the establishment of the kingdom of heaven.

Christianity has three branches: Catholicism, Orthodoxy and Protestantism,

which, in turn, includes currents - Lutheranism, Calvinism,

Anglicanism.

Islam originated in Arabia in the 7th century. n. e. in other social conditions. Unlike

from Buddhism and Christianity, it arose not spontaneously, but as a result of

purposeful actions of the feudal Arab nobility, interested in

joining forces to carry out territorial seizures and trade

expansion. Islam has spread widely among many countries in Asia and Africa.

The historical fate of all three world religions, despite their diversity

historical environment has something in common. Originating originally in one

certain ethnic cultural environment, each of these three religions in

later spread widely different countries, under various conditions,

flexibly adapting and simultaneously influencing them. Already this alone

circumstance says a lot from the point of view of the interaction of these religions

and the arts of various peoples.

3) The Bible as a cultural monument.

The Bible is a collection of ancient folklore.

The Bible is considered to be the Book of Books. She consistently ranks 1st in

world in terms of honor and readability, total circulation, frequency of publishing and

translations into other languages. On its meaning for believing Christians in general

do not have to speak. The Bible is the symbol and banner of the culture of almost two

millennia. The Bible is the life of entire peoples and states, cities and villages,

communities and families, generations and individuals. According to the bible are born and

die, marry and marry, educate and punish, judge and rule,

learn and create. They swear on the Bible, as on the most holy of all that is only

can be found on the ground. The Bible has long and irrevocably entered the flesh and blood

everyday life and spoken language. Biblicalisms with which our

speech and which have long turned into sayings, many do not even notice (voice

crying in the desert, a scapegoat, whoever does not work does not eat, bury

talent into the ground, unbelieving Thomas, etc.).

It is unlikely that there will be another such monument in the history of writing, about which

they wrote so much, they would argue as much as the Bible. And they were hardly given alone

the book has such different assessments - from religious admiration for it to

humorous retelling of biblical stories (Leo Taxil "Entertaining

Bible"). In the religious literature we also find many writings,

The Bible is a collection of dozens of religious and historical books,

legislative, prophetic and literary and artistic content. AT

It is divided into two parts: the Old Testament and the New Testament. Christians recognize

both of these parts are sacred, but the New

covenant. Only the Old Testament refers to the history of the ancient East, the most

voluminous parts of the Bible.

The Old Testament is divided into three major sections: 1 - Pentateuch; 2-

Prophets; 3 - Scriptures. The five books of the first section are Genesis, Exodus,

Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. The second section includes the books "Jesus

Nun", "Judges", two "Books of Samuel", two "Books of Kings", stories about

twelve "minor prophets". The third section includes the "Psalter", "Parables

Solomon", "Job", "Song of Songs", "Ruth", "Lamentations of Jeremiah", "Book

preacher" ("Ecclesiastes"), "Esther", the books of the prophets Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah,

two books of Chronicles.

4) The ideals of the culture of the Enlightenment.

The era of the European Enlightenment occupies an exceptional place in history

human civilization due to the global scale and long-term

value. The chronological framework of this era is determined by a major German

scientist W. Windelband as a century between the Glorious Revolution in England and

The Great French Revolution of 1789 Socio-economic prerequisites

cultures of the Enlightenment are the crisis of feudalism and began three

centuries earlier, the development of capitalist relations in Western Europe.

The defining feature of Enlightenment culture is the idea of ​​progress,

which is closely intertwined with the concept of "mind". Here it is necessary to take into account

a change in the understanding of “mind” - until the middle of the 17th century. mind, perceived

philosophers as a “part of the soul”, after Locke it becomes more of a process

thinking, acquiring at the same time the function of activity. Closely related to

science, the mind becomes its main tool. It was during the Age of Enlightenment

the concept of “belief in progress through reason” was formulated, which determined

long-term development of European civilization and brought a number of destructive

consequences for humanity.

The culture of the enlighteners is characterized by the absolutization of the importance of education in

the formation of a new person. It seemed to the figures of that era that enough

Short description

Until recently, culture was studied, including in higher education, within the framework of long-established scientific disciplines: philosophy, history, linguistics, ethnography, art history, archeology. Traditional sciences studied certain types and elements of culture: language, law, morality, art. However, it gradually became clear that such an approach is narrow and does not give a holistic view of culture as a complex, multifaceted phenomenon, represented in all spheres of public life. In the middle of the 20th century, the formation of cultural studies began as a general, integral science of culture, as an independent scientific discipline. Culturology is gradually acquiring its status, subject, research methods corresponding to it. The term "culturology" itself has been used since the beginning of the 19th century. At the beginning of the 20th century, the American scientist L. White (1900-1975) introduced the term "culturology" into a wide scientific circulation and substantiated the need for a general theory of culture.

culturology¸ science, status culturologists, significance, integrativity

One of the most discussed issues modern education, is the question of the scientific status of cultural studies. Cultural studies is a recognized scientific discipline that has long proved its necessity, viability and effectiveness throughout the world. At the same time, it is a fairly young science that raises a significant number of open questions.

Article text:

Interest in culture accompanies the entire history of mankind. But she's never called like this before. close attention like nowadays. Therefore, it is no coincidence that the emergence of a special industry human knowledge studying culture, and cultural studies, the corresponding academic discipline.

One of the most discussed issues of modern education is the question of the scientific status of cultural studies. Cultural studies is a recognized scientific discipline. It has long proved its necessity, viability and effectiveness all over the world. In Russia, the situation is somewhat different. Cultural studies is a fairly young science that causes a huge amount of controversy. Russian researchers face a number of numerous questions. Is Russian cultural studies necessary in modern world whether culturology is a marginal science, what is a culturological approach.

This sociological study on the topic "Social understanding of cultural studies" was carried out in order to find out the attitude of society towards the culturalization of modern education and cultural studies as a scientific discipline.

Respondents were offered a questionnaire with a number of questions related to this topic. During the study, 50 people aged 18 to 40 were interviewed. This age category of respondents is most suitable for this survey, since people over the age of 18 already have behind them the knowledge that determines their predisposition to certain sciences that will be able to answer the proposed questions. People under 40 who have already received education, work in a particular field, may continue their education, or are in the scientific field.

The data obtained in the course of the study allow us to say that the topic of culturalization of education is relevant for society. 87% of respondents showed enough deep knowledge in the field of this research topic. 2% - low level knowledge in this area, and 11% of respondents showed superficial knowledge.

Respondents who turned out to be more knowledgeable on the proposed topic belong to the age group from 20 to 30 years old, studying at universities. It should be noted that the ongoing humanitarization of education, the introduction of disciplines of the cultural cycle into higher educational institutions, the creation of a humanitarian sphere at the university, contributes to self-realization, self-determination of the student's personality in the space of modern culture. This number of respondents are in the process of mastering professional disciplines, including cultural studies.

Sufficiently superficial knowledge was shown by respondents aged 30 to 40 years. 11% off total number respondents did not study cultural studies at the university, therefore they form their opinion on this topic on the basis of independently acquired knowledge.

It is worth noting that the activities of the respondents and the age category in which they are play an important role in the knowledge that they were guided by when answering the proposed questions.

The question of the status and social understanding of cultural studies, its role in the humanization of education, divided the opinions of respondents in such a way that some believe that cultural studies cannot be an independent science in principle, attributing to it an interdisciplinary character. Others insist that it is a synthesis of other fundamental sciences, giving new knowledge and having its own specific approach, which, in general, gives every reason to define cultural studies as a science. The arguments of both one and the other are not unfounded, and, when trying detailed consideration it turns out that they are so intertwined with each other that in the end they form a single whole. This can be seen in many aspects that can be criticized. In particular, on the example of methodology, the existence of which is often disputed. On the one hand, it is stated that culturology does not have its own research method, but only uses borrowed from other fundamental sciences, primarily history. However, on the other hand, it is quite reasonable to note that such a state of affairs only plays into the hands of cultural studies as a science, since it once again shows all the scientific breadth and depth, which are taken precisely from the use of diverse methods.

Any science uses its own specific methods, techniques for considering certain processes and phenomena that it studies. The methods used in physics are different from those used in sociology or other sciences. But sometimes methods are used that are similar, identical for different sciences. The boundary between methods is movable; techniques developed within the framework of one science begin to be successfully applied in others. Previously, it was believed that just as any science has its own subject of study, it must also have its own specific method. Later it turned out that this is not applicable to all sciences, especially to social and humanitarian ones.

It should be noted that since the social and human sciences have a common object of study, study, all these sciences closely interact with each other in the study of this object (Table No. 1).

Table No. 1. Specificity of social and humanitarian knowledge

Natural-science and socio-humanitarian knowledge also have similarities and interconnections in the area of ​​their specifics (Table No. 2).

Table No. 2. Specificity of natural science and socio-humanitarian knowledge

This predetermines the fact that cultural studies, as a humanitarian science, has close ties with other sciences: philosophy, history, literary criticism, art criticism, etc. All these sciences exchange knowledge, methods with each other, mutually enriching, complementing each other, asserting in human cognition, a picture of the world and society that is most consistent with the real processes that characterize human communities in their functioning and development. Regarding the methodology, we can say: this scientific field is a general humanitarian one, therefore, it can use the methods and methodology of almost all the humanities.

As for the categorical apparatus, here culturology is often accused of the absence of its own, specific set of categories, of borrowing from close ones. scientific fields, mainly from philosophy. But there is nothing reprehensible in this borrowing - culturological knowledge has emerged from philosophy. Therefore, the continuity of categories here is natural and justified. But culturology has not only these borrowed categories, researchers also identify a specific categorical apparatus of this knowledge. The subject field of cultural studies is clearly defined - it is culture. This is its specific subject, which distinguishes it from other social, humanitarian disciplines, making it necessary to exist as a special branch of knowledge. The very understanding of culture is quite broad. And although there is no single definition of culture, all scientists agree on the concept of culture as a subject of study.

And finally, about the fundamental scientific research. For my a little story culturology already has authors and their works that explore both individual cultural phenomena and theoretical questions cultural studies. It is worth highlighting the main sections of cultural studies, which have their own field of study (Table No. 3).

Table number 3. Sections of cultural studies

The teaching of cultural studies in non-humanitarian universities is considered necessary by 85% of the respondents. This is explained by the fact that the level of the general culture of students has become so low that it casts doubt on their personal viability, civic qualities, and even their future professional suitability. In other words, it makes no sense to train a specialist from a person who has not yet defined himself as a person. Essence liberal education is to master those aspects of culture that provide the ability of the individual to self-knowledge, understanding other people and their communities. These aspects of culture include: the totality of people's attitudes to nature, to each other, to themselves; system of social norms and institutions, spiritual values; products of spiritual labor in the sphere of language, art, social sciences. The level of education and professionalism is understood as the quality of a person, which is characterized by the ability to solve the problems of cognitive, orientational, communicative and transformative activities, based on the mastered social experience. The ability to apply a culturological approach to a specific professional activity largely affects the features and characteristics of a specialist's professional culture, the structural element of which is sociocultural competence (Table No. 4).

Table number 4. Culturology professional areas activities.

In this regard, cultural studies can be considered the basis of any professional knowledge, since it best meets the objectives of the formation creative individuality, reflection of reality in the mind of a person in the form of rational and irrational ideas, concepts, judgments, theories, the acquisition of skills for creating and accumulating knowledge, the development of cognitive qualities of a person.

80% of the respondents are inclined to believe that the subjects of the culturological cycle must be taught in schools. 30% of respondents from this number, who did not study cultural studies in schools, believe that it is difficult for university students to understand the disciplines of the cultural cycle, since the school does not prepare them for this. Education itself as a whole, both secondary and higher, should become humanitarian, any special subject must be taught from a humanitarian standpoint, emphasizing its significance. This can be achieved by creating a unified educational concept for schools and universities. Based on the culture-forming property of culturology, its inherent integrativity and systemic nature, this science should be considered as a basic science that introduces the student to the boundless world. high values. Home cultural category here is the formation of personality. The world of values, presented as a set of multiple artifacts, allows the student to focus on proper quality indicators. The priority importance of the principle of cultural conformity in modern school opens up the possibility of theoretical substantiation and practical implementation of a new type of education, which is defined as culturological personality-oriented. Based on the analysis of innovative processes associated with the humanization and humanitarization of education, the features of the culturological school are determined. In this school, priority is given to the study of culture and man as its subject, the image of culture is formed, the general picture of the world is associated with big picture cultures (Table No. 5).

Table No. 5. A number of desirable cultural disciplines for teaching in schools.

In general, the results of the study allow us to say that cultural studies, as a scientific discipline, has established itself in the scientific community quite firmly. Naturally, the questions proposed in the questionnaire cannot fully reveal the depth of the respondent's knowledge in this area. These questions were compiled taking into account the fact that not every respondent has high knowledge on this topic, when selecting questions, it was also taken into account that the study itself did not require the respondent to be obligated to participate in cultural studies. It was important and necessary to clarify the relationship to this problem.

Based on the results of this sociological study, it can be noted that many of the respondents, even without deep knowledge in the proposed topic, showed interest and desire to participate in this survey.

The results of the study can be called positive, in the end, the goal was achieved. Also, I would like to note that this research topic, as shown by the results of the survey, has a perspective in the further development and conduct of a similar study on the chosen topic.

The subject of cultural studies

In a broad sense, cultural studies is a complex of individual sciences, as well as theological and philosophical concepts of culture; other elephants, these are all those teachings about culture, its history, essence, patterns of functioning and development that can be found in the works of scientists representing various options understanding the phenomenon of culture. In addition, the culturological sciences study the system of cultural institutions through which the upbringing and education of a person is carried out and which produce, store and transmit cultural information.

From this point of view, the subject of cultural studies forms a set of various disciplines, which include history, sociology of culture and a complex of anthropological knowledge. In addition, the subject field of cultural studies in a broad sense should include: the history of cultural studies, the ecology of culture, the psychology of culture, ethnology (ethnography), theology (theology) of culture. However, with such a broad approach, the subject of cultural studies appears as a set of various disciplines or sciences that study culture, and can be identified with the subject of philosophy of culture, sociology of culture, cultural anthropology and other theories of the middle level. In this case, culturology loses its own subject of study and becomes integral part marked disciplines.

A more balanced approach seems to be one that understands the subject of cultural studies in a narrow sense and presents it as a separate independent science, a certain system of knowledge. With this approach, culturology acts as a general theory of culture, based in its generalizations and conclusions on the knowledge of specific sciences, such as the theory of artistic culture, the history of culture and other particular sciences about culture. With this approach, the initial basis is the consideration of culture in its specific forms, in which it manifests itself as an essential characteristic of a person, the form and way of his life.

Thus, subject of cultural studies is a set of questions of the origin, functioning and development of culture as a specific human way life that is different from the natural world. It is designed to study the most general laws of the development of culture, its manifestations that are present in all famous cultures humanity.

With this understanding of the subject of cultural studies, its main tasks are:

• the most profound, complete and holistic explanation of culture, its
• essence, content, features and functions;
• study of the genesis (origin and development) of culture as a whole, as well as individual phenomena and processes in culture;
• determining the place and role of man in cultural processes;
• development of a categorical apparatus, methods and means of studying culture;
• interaction with other sciences studying culture;
• the study of information about culture that came from art, philosophy, religion and other areas related to non-scientific knowledge of culture;
• study of the development of individual cultures.

The purpose of cultural studies

The goal of cultural studies becomes such a study, on the basis of which its understanding is formed. To do this, it is necessary to identify and analyze: the facts of culture, which together constitute a system of cultural phenomena; connections between elements of culture; dynamics cultural systems; methods of production and assimilation of cultural phenomena; types of cultures and underlying norms, values ​​and symbols (cultural codes); cultural codes and communications between them.

The goals and objectives of cultural studies determine the functions of this science.

Functions of cultural studies

The functions of cultural studies can be combined into several main groups according to the tasks being implemented:

• cognitive function - the study and understanding of the essence and role of culture in the life of society, its structure and functions, its typology, differentiation into branches, types and forms, the human-creative purpose of culture;
• conceptual and descriptive function - the development of theoretical systems, concepts and categories that make it possible to draw up a complete picture of the formation and development of culture, and the formulation of description rules that reflect the features of the deployment of sociocultural processes;
• estimated function - the implementation of an adequate assessment of the influence of a holistic phenomenon of culture, its various types, branches, types and forms on the formation of social and spiritual qualities of a person, social community, society as a whole;
• explaining function - scientific explanation features cultural complexes, phenomena and events, mechanisms of functioning of agents and institutions of culture, their socializing impact on the formation of personality on the basis of scientific understanding of the revealed facts, trends and patterns of development of socio-cultural processes;
• ideological function - the implementation of socio-political ideals in the development of fundamental and applied problems of the development of culture, regulating the influence of its values ​​and norms on the behavior of the individual and social communities;
• educational(teaching) function - the dissemination of cultural knowledge and assessments, which helps students, professionals, as well as those who are interested in the problems of culture, to learn the features of this social phenomenon, its role in the development of man and society.

The subject of cultural studies, its tasks, goals and functions determine the general contours of cultural studies as a science. Each of them, in turn, requires in-depth study.

The historical path traversed by mankind from antiquity to the present has been complex and contradictory. On this path, progressive and regressive phenomena, the desire for the new and the commitment to familiar forms of life, the desire for change and the idealization of the past were often combined. However, in all situations leading role culture has always played in the life of people, which helped a person to adapt to the constantly changing conditions of life, to find its meaning and purpose, to preserve the human in a person. Because of this, a person has always been interested in this sphere of the surrounding world, which resulted in the emergence of a special branch of human knowledge - cultural studies and the corresponding academic discipline that studies culture. Cultural studies is primarily the science of culture.. This specific subject distinguishes it from other social, humanitarian disciplines and explains the necessity of its existence as a special branch of knowledge.

The formation of cultural studies as a science

In modern humanities, the concept of "culture" belongs to the category of fundamental. Among the many scientific categories and terms, there is hardly another concept that would have so many semantic shades and be used in such different contexts. This situation is not accidental, since culture is the subject of study of many scientific disciplines, each of which highlights its own aspects of the study of culture and gives its own understanding and definition of culture. At the same time, culture itself is polyfunctional, therefore, each science singles out one of its aspects or parts as the subject of its study, approaches the study with its own methods and methods, eventually formulating its own understanding and definition of culture.

Attempts to give a scientific explanation of the phenomenon of culture have a short history. The first such attempt was made in

17th century English philosopher T. Hobbes and German jurist S. Puffenlorff, who expressed the idea that a person can be in two states - natural (natural), which is the lowest stage of his development, since he is creatively passive, and cultural, which they considered as a higher stage human development, because it is creatively productive.

The doctrine of culture was developed at the turn of the 18th-19th centuries. in the works of the German educator I.G. Herder, who considered culture in a historical aspect. The development of culture, but in her opinion, is the content and meaning of the historical process. Culture is the disclosure of the essential forces of a person, which differ significantly among different peoples, therefore, in real life, there are various stages and eras in the development of culture. At the same time, the opinion was established that the core of culture is the spiritual life of a person, his spiritual abilities. This situation persisted for quite a long time.

AT late XIX- the beginning of the 20th century. Works began to appear in which the analysis of cultural problems was the main task, and not a secondary one, as it was until now. In many ways, these works were associated with the realization of the crisis. European culture, searching for its causes and ways out of it. As a result, philosophers and scientists have realized the need for an integrative science of culture. It was equally important to concentrate and systematize the huge and diverse information about the history of the culture of different peoples, the relations of social groups and individuals, styles of behavior, thinking and art.

This was the basis for the emergence of an independent science of culture. Around the same time, the term "culturology" appeared. It was first used by the German scientist W. Ostwald in 1915 in his book "The System of Sciences", but then this term was not widely used. This happened later and is associated with the name of the American cultural anthropologist L.A. White, who in his works "The Science of Culture" (1949), "The Evolution of Culture" (1959), "The Concept of Culture" (1973) substantiated the need to separate all knowledge about culture into a separate science, laid its general theoretical foundations, attempted to isolate it the subject of research, delimiting it from related sciences, to which he attributed psychology and sociology. If psychology, White argued, studies the psychological reaction of the human body to external factors, and sociology studies the patterns of relationships between the individual and society, then the subject of cultural studies should be the understanding of the relationship of such cultural phenomena as a custom, tradition, ideology. He predicted a great future for cultural studies, believing that it represents a new, qualitatively higher level in understanding man and the world. That is why the term "culturology" is associated with the name of White.

Despite the fact that culturology gradually occupies an increasingly firm position among other social and human sciences, disputes about its scientific status do not stop. In the West this term was not accepted immediately, and the culture there continued to be studied by such disciplines as social and cultural anthropology, sociology, psychology, linguistics, etc. This situation indicates that the process of self-determination of cultural studies as a scientific and educational discipline has not yet been completed. Today, cultural science is in the process of formation, its content and structure have not yet acquired clear scientific boundaries, research in it is contradictory, there are many methodological approaches to its subject. All this suggests that this area of ​​scientific knowledge is in the process of formation and creative search.

Thus, culturology is a young science that is in its infancy. The biggest obstacle for her further development is the absence of a point of view on the subject of this study, with which most researchers would agree. Revealing the subject of cultural studies takes place before our eyes, in the struggle different opinions and points of view.

The status of cultural studies and its place among other sciences

One of the main issues of identifying the specifics of culturological knowledge and the subject of its study is to comprehend the relationship of culturology with other related or close areas of scientific knowledge. If we define culture as everything that is created by man and mankind (such a definition is very common), it becomes clear why determining the status of cultural studies is difficult. Then it turns out that in the world in which we live, there is only the world of culture, which exists by the will of man, and the world of nature, which arose without the influence of people. Accordingly, all the sciences that exist today are divided into two groups - the sciences of nature (natural science) and the sciences of the world of culture - the social and human sciences. In other words, all the social and human sciences are ultimately the sciences of culture—knowledge of the types, forms, and results of human activity. At the same time, it is not clear where among these sciences the place of cultural studies and what it should study.

To answer these questions, the social sciences and humanities can be divided into two unequal groups:

1. sciences about specialized types of human activity, allocated according to the subject of this activity, namely:

• sciences about the forms of social organization and regulation - legal, political, military, economic;
• sciences about the forms of social communication and transmission of experience - philological, pedagogical, art sciences and religious studies;
• sciences about the types of materially transforming human activity - technical and agricultural;

2. Science general aspects human activity, regardless of its subject, namely:

• historical sciences that study the emergence and development of human activity in any area, regardless of its subject matter;
• psychological sciences that study the patterns of mental activity, individual and group behavior;
• sociological sciences, discovering the forms and methods of uniting and interacting people in their joint life;
• culturological sciences that analyze norms, values, signs and symbols as conditions for the formation and functioning of peoples (culture), showing the essence of man.

We can say that the presence of cultural studies in the system of scientific knowledge is found in two aspects.

Firstly, as a specific cultural method and the level of generalization of any analyzed material within any social or humanities, i.e. How component any science. At this level, model conceptual constructions are created that describe not how this area of ​​life functions in general and what are the boundaries of its existence, but how it adapts to changing conditions, how it reproduces itself, what are the causes and mechanisms of its orderliness. Within the framework of each science, one can single out a field of research that concerns the mechanisms and methods of organization, regulation and communication of people in the relevant areas of their life. This is what is commonly called economic, political, religious, linguistic, etc. culture.

Secondly, as an independent area of ​​social and humanitarian knowledge society and its culture. In this aspect, cultural studies can be considered as separate group sciences, and as a separate, independent science. In other words, culturology can be considered in a narrow sense and a broad one. Depending on this, the subject of cultural studies and its structure, as well as its connection with other sciences, will be distinguished.

Relationship of cultural studies with other sciences

Culturology arose at the intersection of history, philosophy, sociology, ethnology, anthropology, social psychology, art history, etc., therefore, culturology is a complex socio-humanitarian science. Its interdisciplinary nature is in line with the general trend modern science to the integration, mutual influence and interpenetration of various fields of knowledge in the study of a common object of study. With regard to cultural studies, the development of scientific knowledge leads to the synthesis of cultural sciences, the formation of an interconnected complex scientific ideas about culture as complete system. At the same time, each of the sciences with which cultural studies is in contact deepens the understanding of culture, supplementing it with its own research and knowledge. The most closely related to cultural studies are the philosophy of culture, philosophical, social and cultural anthropology, the history of culture and sociology.

Culturology and Philosophy of Culture

As a branch of knowledge separated from philosophy, culturology has retained its connection with the philosophy of culture, which acts as an organic component of philosophy, as one of the relatively autonomous networks of theories. Philosophies as such, seeks to develop a systematic and holistic view of the world, tries to answer the question of whether the world is cognizable, what are the possibilities and boundaries of cognition, its goals, levels, forms and methods, and philosophy of culture should show what place culture occupies in this general picture of being, seeks to determine the originality and methodology of cognition of cultural phenomena, representing the highest, most abstract level of the study of culture. Acting as methodological basis cultural studies, it defines the general cognitive guidelines for cultural studies, explains the essence of culture and poses problems for it that are significant for human life, for example, about the meaning of culture, about the conditions for its existence, about the structure of culture, the reasons for its changes, etc.

The philosophy of culture and cultural studies differ in the attitudes with which they approach the study of culture. Culturology considers culture in its internal relations as an independent system, and the philosophy of culture analyzes culture in accordance with the subject and functions of philosophy in the context of philosophical categories such as being, consciousness, cognition, personality, society. Philosophy considers culture in all its specific forms, while in cultural studies the emphasis is on explaining the various forms of culture with the help of middle-level philosophical theories based on anthropological and historical materials. With this approach, culturology allows you to create a holistic picture of the human world, taking into account the diversity and diversity of the processes taking place in it.

Culturology and cultural history

History studies human society in its specific forms and conditions of existence.

These forms and conditions do not remain unchanged once and for all; uniform and universal for all mankind. They are constantly changing, and history studies society in terms of these changes. That's why cultural history highlights historical types cultures, compares them, reveals the general cultural patterns of the historical process, on the basis of which it is possible to describe and explain specific historical features cultural development. A generalized view of the history of mankind made it possible to formulate the principle of historicism, according to which culture is seen not as a frozen and unchanging entity, but as a dynamic system. local cultures which are in development and replacing each other. We can say that the historical process acts as a set of specific forms of culture. Each of them is defined by ethnic, religious and historical factors and therefore constitutes a relatively independent entity. Each culture has its own original history, determined by a complex of peculiar conditions of its existence.

Culturology in turn studies general laws culture and reveals its typological features, develops a system of its own categories. In this context, historical data help to construct a theory of the emergence of culture, to reveal the laws of its historical development. To do this, culturology studies the historical diversity of the facts of the culture of the past and present, which allows it to understand and explain modern culture. It is in this way that the history of culture is formed, which studies the development of the culture of individual countries, regions, peoples.

Cultural studies and sociology

Culture is a product of human social life and is impossible outside of human society. Representing social phenomenon, it develops according to its own laws. In this sense, culture is the subject of study for sociology.

Sociology of culture explores the process of functioning of culture in society; tendencies of cultural development, manifested in the consciousness, behavior and way of life of social groups. AT social structure In society, groups of different levels are distinguished - macrogroups, layers, estates, nations, ethnic groups, each of which is distinguished by its cultural characteristics, value preferences, tastes, style and way of life, and many microgroups that form various subcultures. Such groups are formed on various grounds - gender, age, professional, religious, etc. The multiplicity of group cultures creates a "mosaic" picture of cultural life.

The sociology of culture in its research relies on many special sociological theories that are close in terms of the object of study and significantly complement the understanding of cultural processes, establishing interdisciplinary links with various branches of sociological knowledge - the sociology of art, the sociology of morality, the sociology of religion, the sociology of science, the sociology of law, ethnosociology, the sociology of age and social groups, the sociology of crime and deviant behavior, the sociology of leisure, the sociology of the city, etc. Each of them is unable to create a holistic view of cultural reality. Thus, the sociology of art will provide rich information about artistic life society, while the sociology of leisure shows how different groups of the population use their free time. This is very important, but partial information. Obviously more is needed high level generalizations of cultural knowledge, and this task is performed by the sociology of culture.

Cultural Studies and Anthropology

Anthropology - the field of scientific knowledge, within which the fundamental problems of human existence in the natural and built environment. Today, several directions stand out in this area: physical anthropology, the main subject of which is man as a biological species, as well as modern and fossil anthropoid primates; social and cultural anthropology, the main subject of which is a comparative study human societies; philosophical and religious anthropology, which are not empirical sciences, but a combination of philosophical and theological teachings about human nature, respectively.

Cultural anthropology deals with the study of a person as a subject of culture, will give a description of the life of various societies at different stages of development, their way of life, mores, customs, etc., studies specific cultural values, forms of cultural relationships, mechanisms for the transmission of cultural skills from person to person. This is important for cultural studies, because it allows us to understand what is behind the facts of culture, what needs are expressed by its specific historical, social or personal forms. We can say that cultural anthropology is engaged in the study of ethnic cultures, describing them cultural phenomena systematizing and comparing them. In fact, it explores a person in the aspect of expressing his inner world in the facts of cultural activity.

Within the framework of cultural anthropology, the historical process of the relationship between man and culture, the adaptation of man to the surrounding cultural environment, the formation of the spiritual world of the individual, the embodiment of creative potentials in activity and its results are studied. Cultural anthropology reveals the "nodal" moments of socialization and inculturation of a person, the specifics of each stage of the life path, studies the influence of the cultural environment, education and upbringing systems and adaptation to them; the role of family, peers, generation, paying special attention to the psychological substantiation of such universal phenomena as life, soul, death, love, friendship, faith, meaning, spiritual world men and women.