Culture and Art - rubric Theoretical culturology and the theory of culture

Abstract: The question about the sources of human's attitude to art has always been a nettlesome issue. However, numerous attempts to explain such complex phenomena as human's attitude to art or one's taste for art with simple causes as age, education and other measurable properties of the audience do not allow to explain consumer behavior but result in ignoring important potential determinants including motivation. In this article Ushkarev tries to answer the question about the influence of different kinds of motivation on one's attitude to art and the role of status motivation. The research is based on econometric tools and analysis of the results of surveys carried out at State Tretyakov Gallery as part of the project that is aimed at analyzing the audience of the Gallery and has been carried out by State Institute for Art Studies. The following results have been obtained as a result of the research. First of all, the researcher has described three basic kinds of motivation attributable to consumers of art: recreational, substantial and status motivations. The author has also managed to define and measure the relationship between cultural activity and the degree of cultural capital and respondent's motivation. The results of the research prove a significant positive influence of substantial motivation on the intensity of art consumption while recreational motivation turns out to be an essential factor of a negative influence on the intensity of cultural consumption. At the same time, the author has not discovered a conclusive evidence that there is a status effect of education as Pierre Bourdieu described it. For Moscow cultural audience the status effect of education is most likely to have a theoretical nature in terms of consumption of culture services. The author also demonstrates that despite a usual negative connotation of the term, status motivation plays a positive role for consumption of art.

Keywords: Cultural Activity, Status motivation, Substantial motivation, Recreational motivation, Intensity of cultural consumption, The status effect of education, Cognitive competence, Econometric analysis of motivation, Abnormal consumer behavior, Consumption of art

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2023.1.39617

Abstract: The article considers the formation and development of meanings of the Phoenix as an imaginary beast-sign, a bearer of the bestiary code of Chinese culture. The methodology of highlighting the stages of evolution of the image of the beast-sign and analysis of its meanings is based on the ideas of Russian semioticians V.N. Toporov and A.E. Makhov concerning the historical typology of beast-signs from totem to zoomorphic images, then bestiary images and images-embodies. As a result of the study it was found that the imaginary totemic image-sign Phoenix was formed on the basis of domestic birds: chicken, pheasant, peacock and other animals, the zoomorphic image of the Phoenix symbolised the Sun God, Fire God (female image), Wind God (male image) of the polytheistic pantheon of ancient Chinese Gods, The phoenix became an emblem of imperial power and its female bearers (empresses, princesses, concubines), and finally, in the course of cultural history the image lost its religious and political significance, the phoenix became an emblem of love, femininity, happiness and harmony. Understanding the changing meanings of the phoenix as one of the beast-signs, the carriers of the Chinese cultural code, will enable a better understanding of the aims and values of Chinese culture at different stages of development, as well as the mechanisms of cultural continuity and cultural development in China, making possible endless renewals on the traditional cultural ground.

Keywords: beast, phoenix, emblem, totem, symbolic meaning, cultural code, symbol, chinese culture, chinese bestiary, sign

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2023.9.44004

Abstract: The subject of the study is the concepts of "folklore" and "folklorism". The purpose of the study is to identify the peculiarities of these concepts in culture. Folklore and folklorism are two concepts that are closely related to each other, but at the same time have their essential differences. Folklore is folk art, transmitted from generation to generation by oral or other means. It is a reflection of the cultural and spiritual life of the people, their beliefs, customs and traditions. While folklorism is the use of folklore elements in the creation of new works of art or culture. However, it should be noted that the distinction between these two concepts can be quite elusive. Some researchers argue that all statements of any author are the result of a combination of folklore elements and the author's personal style. Thus, it can be argued that every work contains both elements of folklore and elements of the author's personality. Comparisons are made in order to consider similarities and differences of terminological features of these concepts. Scientific methods of research are: cultural-historical, descriptive, and comparative analysis. This topic is relevant and understudied in culture, which constitutes the scientific novelty of the work. The article for the first time considers the term "folklorism" in comparison with the term "folklore". The vagueness and instability of the term "folklorism" was the reason why researchers rarely used it. Having considered various points of view, it should be concluded that folklorism, on a par with folklore culture, permeates many aspects of ethnic life, being not only a symbol of traditional culture, but also a means of promoting and preserving the national spirit of the people. In addition, such a study can be useful for the further development of folk culture and preservation of its values.

Keywords: literary fairy tale, folk culture, oral folk art, traditional folklore, folklore culture, folklorism, folklore, folktale, cultural phenomenon, modern culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2021.6.35836

Abstract: This discusses a relevant topic of perception of the world and reality, which are usually characterized as complex and ambiguous. The author, who graduated from Moscow Methodological Circle (MMC) and mentored by its founder G. P. Shchedrovitsky, reconsiders his views upon the interpretation of the topic at hand. Analysis is conducted on comprehension of the activity by G. P. Shchedrovitsky, the task of overcoming the naturalistic approach towards reasoning formulated by him, and the transformation of views within the MMC (transition from the concept of reasoning towards the theory of activity, and later on, mental activity). The article provides the authorial representations on reasoning acquired in the course of research, which are substantiated by a range of factors – history, culture, language, identity, concepts, and sociality. Based on the examples from the history of philosophy and science, the author explores the key stages in the formation of ideal objects and the role played by various factors, including reasoning and activity, as well as the peculiarities of shaping understanding and worldviews. In the current context the author demonstrates why it is difficult to comprehend the “world order”. The main reasons include dual transition (end of modernism and establishment of the “future culture”; project nature of innovations; imperfection of methodology, namely incomplete empirical generalizations. The author indicates that his goal was not the criticism of G. P. Shchedrovitsky and his successors, but overcoming own representations, which allow developing creativity as the foundation of modern mentality.

Keywords: schemes, understanding, peace, thought activity, activity, thinking, creativity, worldview, crisis, formation

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2021.8.36280

Abstract: The object of this research is the religious sphere, apprehended as a fragment of the cultural worldview. The unit, which allows conducting the analysis and studying the structure of cultural worldview alongside other, is the frame of cultural phenomenon. Cultural invariants are referred to as basic frames. The subject of this research is one of the major cultural phenomena, the basic frame of the Christian culture – “sin”. The author focuses on the structure of cultural phenomenon, analyzing its levels, vertex nodes (slots) and optional nodes (terminal slots). The key research method is the frame analysis. The commonly used in sociological, linguistic, and cognitive research frame analysis is a universal tool, effective and adequate to the goals and tasks of culturology. The novelty of this study is define by the lack of works on the frame analysis of cultural phenomena in the context of its relevance for the scientific community. This article is a contribution to the discussion that has unfolded in recent years on the capabilities of frame analysis in culturology. The conducted analysis demonstrates that the frame correlated with the concept of sin has a multi-level structure. The main attributes of the frame are the slots or vertex nodes – quality inherent to human, grounds for punishment, enemy, evil, evil spirit, illness, mistake, and misfortune. The terminal (optional) slots include the atoning sacrifice and forgiveness.

Keywords: terminal knot, vertex node, frame structure, frame, frame analysis, cultural picture of the world, slot, subframe, religious sphere, sin

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2023.7.43587

Abstract: The object of this research is design as a semiotic embodiment of the modern worldview, the quintessence of which are flat ontologies. The subject of the study is parallelism in the philosophy of flat ontologies and modern flat design. The purpose of this study is to explicate the philosophical problem of modern design, which is a consequence of the unconscious expression by designers of the philosophy of flat ontologies. The philosophy of flat ontologies struggles with anthropocentrism, insisting that a person should not have a privileged ontological status compared to other objects. In the philosophy of flat ontologies, a machine or a neural network are agents of action in the same way as a person. Modern flat design is an expression of this position, since the modern visual information environment is less and less adapted to human organs of perception, more and more transhumanistic. Both flat design and flat ontologies are a consequence of the horizontally oriented, materialistic line of philosophy, which forms the worldview of modern society. Thanks to the explication of the problem of flat design, it can be understood that the horizontally oriented line of philosophy is problematic for the further existence of man. The main conclusion of the study is that the horizontally oriented line in philosophy – materialism and positivism – in their logical development lead to the philosophy of flat ontologies, which postulates the same ontological status for human and non-human agents. Such a position is antihuman and transhumanistic, and this becomes evident in the philosophical analysis of modern design. The main stylistics of modern design is a flat design, which uses fourth-order simulacra as the main type of signs. The use of simulacrum signs in design creates an environment that is increasingly less adapted to human organs of perception, a transhumanistic environment.

Keywords: simulacrum, anthropocentrism, transhumanism, super-object, horizontal, flat ontologies, hyperreality, Flat design, environment, visual

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2019.10.30848

Abstract: The subject of this research is the Latvian art of modernity. Relevance of the selected topic is substantiated by the need to examine the essence of creative processes in Latvia of modern era, since the image of Latvian art takes its roots in artistic practices of the late XIX – early XX centuries. The goal lies in determination of specificity of the concept of “style” alongside peculiarities of studying Latvian art of modernity as a part of European culture of the late XIX – early XX centuries. The theoretical importance is acknowledged by characteristic of the concepts of “style”, particularly modern style (Art Nouveau, Jugendstil) and symbolism in the context of the history of philosophical-art knowledge, as well as methodology of science. The acquired results provide a broader understanding of the role of style and art of modernity, which justifies practical importance of this work. The scientific novelty consists in generalization of the scientific-methodological and theoretical approaches towards studying the synthesis of modern style arts; specification of the content of key concepts of this research – synthesis of arts, object environment, style, modernism, Art Nouveau, Jugendstil, design; determination of attributes of the synthesis of arts in European modernism; characterization of peculiarities of modern style in Latvian art of the late XIX – early XX centuries. It is established that transitional nature of modernism “between the old and the new” generates a number of methodological problems, which emphasizes relevance of the selected topic.

Keywords: Latvia, Art Nouveau, Europe, modern era, symbolism, artist, methods, art, Style, art nouveau

Abstract: Changes which has taken place in conceptions of many phenomena lately allow us to take a new look at the combination of words ‘petrol and culture’. Not going too deep into details, let’s say that this connection is becoming extremely clear after certain genetic researches explaining the primary foundation of culture. The roots of a visual or verbal image lie in the mechanism of speech. Metaphor, as it is already known, is a mechanism of transfer of the meaning, i. e. – the mechanism of speech formation and, consequently, culture formation. It is time now to get a cultural understanding of strategic natural resources. Metaphor is the basic and the most profound, even though not the only one, tool for such understanding. Does it mean that we are facing the new stage of humanization of natural science and thereby, new opportunities of cultural studies, such as cultural understanding (a kind of cultural audit) of mineral resources?

Keywords: cultural studies, petrol, metaphor, culture, humanization, mineral resources, cultural audit, image, speech, potential.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2017.6.21784

Abstract: This article is devoted to the visual media of communication as technological progress in culture. The subject of research is the study of the developing of visual tools from the traditional "old" (printed and electronic) to digital "new" (Internet) forms of mass communication and their interaction with the culture. Particular attention is given to the main landmarks of the development of visual tools, and especially to the information age or digital age, because it gives individuals the maximum opportunity to freely communicate, transmit or receive information. The main methods of study are cultural and historical. By analyzing of vast amounts of materials devoted to visual communication, including both national and foreign sources, these methods allow to identify and interpret the main historical stages of development visual tools: the written era, the printing era (the printing press of Gutenberg), the electronic era (TV, movie) and the informational or the digital era (Internet, World Wide Web). The conclusion is that every form of visual mass communication, one way or another, affects society in fundamental areas. Books allow people to educate themselves, and not rely solely on teachers and clergy. Newspapers began to chronicle the everyday life of society with the presence of a public forum for the exchange of information and discussion. Magazines were the first visual mass communication, which began massively using photography to the advent of television. Television has brought the sound and motion in the picture and gave a view of cultural heritage as a movie. With the advent of the Internet, new digital forms, such as personal and social media communications. The result of the study is the conclusion that new media play an important role in the formation of modern culture, depicting a particular set of beliefs, values and traditions (whole life) as visualized reality. The novelty of research is determined by the new faces of ideas about the social and cultural reality, contributing to a more adequate understanding of its dynamics.

Keywords: social media, cultural dynamics, image, interpretation, media communication, visual communication, socio-cultural approach, personal media, digital era, printing era

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2023.8.43846

Abstract: The purpose of the study is to study the potential of a culturological approach to the professional culture of information security in modern conditions. The subject of the study is the socio-cultural aspects of professional competencies in the context of the formation and development of the general civil culture of information security. The object of the study is the previous and ongoing evolution of the professional culture of information security in Russia. The materials used are scientific, research and scientific-practical publications on the research topic in the Russian journals of the list of the Higher Attestation Commission and in the international database Scopus (categories Q1 and Q2) for 2021-2023. The evolutionary and structural-functional methods are applied, the subject of the study is considered from the point of view of the cultural paradigm − the dynamic system model. The novelty of the research lies in the application of the conceptual apparatus and methods of cultural studies to study the professional culture of information security. Previously, the formation and development of an information security culture was considered within the framework of technical scientific disciplines, and then law, management, pedagogy, psychology and linguistics. The result of the study is the identification of socio-cultural factors as components inherent in the professional culture of information security at the present stage. These include traditional values, identity, resistance to manipulation of consciousness, as well as psychological and pedagogical competencies of training non-professionals in information security of employees of organizations and citizens, customers and users of services. The conclusion is made: the culturological approach is highly in demand in information security, which is due to its transformation into a general civil culture, which must include more and more significant socio-cultural aspects.

Keywords: technological import-independence, digital sovereignty, disinformation, social engineering, cultural identity, traditional values, socio-cultural threats, professional culture of information security, general civil culture of information security, information security

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2018.9.27419

Abstract: In her article Mostitskaya discusses the phenomenon of festive culture from the point of view of its value-semantic functional significance for the formation of socio-cultural space. To substantiate the new model of the typology of holidays, the concept of "explosion" and "lag" is proposed as a characteristic of the communicative space of the holiday and the way of creating and transmitting the value-semantic field of culture. The author proposes to differentiate holidays depending on their socio-cultural significance for social stability and the development of a socio-cultural system. The characteristic features of the four types of holiday are highlighted: "explosive", "lag-like", "dynamic" and "neutral mnemonic". The methodological basis of the concept proposed in the article is the theory of synergy presented in the works of Russian scientists. In addition to the basic scientific research methods, the author also uses comparative analysis. A special contribution of the author to the study of the theme of festive culture is the methodological concept proposed in the article and a new classification of holidays. The rationale of the research is caused by the the author's approach that involves the use of scientific theories created at the interface of the humanities and natural science to analyze the phenomenon of "festivity" as the essential core of the holiday.

Keywords: values, holiday, culture, the typology of the convivality, cultural communication, routine, convivality, higher meanings, synergy, bifurcation point

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2020.4.32692

Abstract: The object of this research is the relevant representations of death, which in many ways are defined by the ideas and practices of embodiment of posthumanism. Special attention is given to correlation between natural and artificial in a human. The article analyzes the corporeal context of death and technical context of body, the interaction of which leads to creation of the project of technogenic immortality. In the present situation, body as a preset biological structure is determined as mortal. Immortality, in this case, is understood as the achievement of post-corporeal state. The work is based on the philosophical-anthropological concepts of innate “biological insufficiency” and “eccentric positionality” of a human that also form his ability to transcending the determinate being. Culture is viewed as the functional expansion of human body. The conclusion is made that the idea of modetnity consists in liberation of human from any external determination, in other words, in autopoiesis. Due to this fact, humanity attempts to transcend the power over own body into the limits of its basic properties – to get rid of death. Posthuman future is achieved through subsequent destruction of “naturalness” of the body.

Keywords: human enhancement, death, immortalism, posthumanism, transhumanism, technoscience, posthuman, self-transcendence, evolution, nature–culture divide

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2019.8.30435

Abstract: The subject of the research is heterotopy as a concept that can solve a number of serious issues in art studies. The aim of the research is to demonstrate that the concept of heterotropy can be used to describe artistic phenomena that cannot be analyzed by the methods that are traditionally used in art studies. In her article Popova tries to prove that the concept of artistic heterotropy can be useful to analyze polysemantic artistic phenomena created at the border between art and science, art and life, art and social practices. In her research Popova combines spacial and linguistic approaches of Michel Foucault in interpretation of heterotropy essence. Conceptualization of the concept of heterotopy is based on the view of heterotopy as a specific semiotic mechanism of 're-scription' (according to N. Rudenko). Popova describes the following features of artistic heterotropies: they are based on the transition of an object into the space of an artwork; semantics of such an artwork is formed at the crossing of different meanings in which several semiotic systems are expressed at once; and such artwork is based on an artist's desire to destroy customary patterns and create an alternative image of the world.

Keywords: postmodern methodology, properties of heterotopy, mechanisms of heterotopy, ready-made, contemporary art practices, Science Art, Michel Foucault, heterotopy, re-scription, contemporary art history

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.2.17876

Abstract: The subject of the research is the factors that conditioned the development of the sociology of culture. The object of the research is the concepts and definitions of culture in social studies and cultural anthropology. The author examines such aspects of the topic as overcoming disciplinary differences, special attention to the sociocultural dynamics, transfer from the subject-object interpretation of the sociocultural reality towards intersubjective one and refusal of substantialism in culture and society. Special attention is paid to the development of the contemporary sociology of culture as a response to the cognitive paradigm shift. Analysis of the contents of the concept (definition) of culture in social studies and anthropology and dynamic analysis of the changes of the matter of social studies as a result of changes in the definition of culture are analyzed. The main contribution of the research is the statement of the demand for the modern variant of the sciology of culture. The author's contribution to the topic is the analysis of the factors that determine the development of the contemporary sociology of culture. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that the author views the topic in terms of the cognitive paradigm shift and as part of social studies.

Keywords: culture, cultural anthropology, Marxism, positivism, cognitive paradigm, post-modernity, rationalism, structuralism, structural functionalism, phenomenological sociology

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.2.67605

Keywords: culture, cultural anthropology, Marxism, positivism, cognitive paradigm, post-modernity, rationalism, structuralism, structural functionalism, phenomenological sociology

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.3.17967

Abstract: The article proves the necessity of interdisciplinary study of complex cultural phenomena and individual persons. Placing the emphasis on psychoanalytic methodology and viewing association as the analogue to dreaming and creator as the analogue to a child, Zotnikova stresses the importance of interdisciplinarity in the study of creative personality. The 'Model of the Child' based on the example of Alexander Pushkin's personality and the principles of studying the leadership in the sphere of art are shown as the author's experience in interdisciplinary methodological research. Opportunities of interdisciplinarity are identified by the researcher based on the material of cultura; studies (I. Kondakov), art studies (B. Zingerman, G. Sternin), and theatre studies (G. Brodskaya). In relation to the needs of the study of mass culture, the researcher collects evidence of interdisciplinarity in the works of sociologists (Zh.Toshchenko), describes experience in synergetic research (I. Prigozhin, V. Arshinov, and M. Kagan), and philosophical and psychological ideas (K. G. Jung). Based on this, the Olympics is presented as a text of mass culture. Archetype is defined to be the code of mass culture. The author also analyzes the presence of the male archetype (in so called retrodirectives written by B. Akunin and A. Chizh) and the female archetype (in the novels written E. Vilmont, D. Rubina, D. Dontsova, actresses I. Churikova and L. Gurchenko) in contemporary Russian mass culture. The conclusion is made about the productivity of the combination of several methods – psychoanalytic, synergetic, socio-cultural, artistic – in their integration and complementarity, i.e., interdisciplinarity.

Keywords: synergetics, sociology of culture, art history, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, interdisciplinarity, archetype, Russian culture, methodology, mass culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.3.67822

Keywords: synergetics, sociology of culture, art history, psychoanalysis, cultural studies, interdisciplinarity, archetype, Russian culture, methodology, mass culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2014.4.12366

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2014.4.65424

Abstract: The article touches upon one of the most topical issues in the methodology of art history. The absolute priority given in the history research to the linear principle which genesis goes back to the age of Enlightenment has made art historians to pay more attention to certain periods while leaving other periods without adequate interpretations. This, above all, refers to the period of the archaic ancient art, medieval art and Byzantine art. In the latter case art is perceived as declining and not demonstrating complete or definite artwork as it seemed. This is the reason why those periods in art history were rarely studied. As the science that was formed in the age of Enlightenment, esthetics took the exclusive Renaissance art as the starting point in the art development. The same situation had continued until historians discovered the alternative principle in the historical process, in particular, the cyclic principle the present article is devoted to. Even though the interest towards that principle already developed in the 19th century, most efficiently the principle was used in woks by the Russian scientist Pitirim Sorokin who started his academic career as a social scientist. The author of the article emphasizes the important role of Pitirim Sorokin’s major work on social and cultural dynamics in the development of the cultural science. The article shows how the Russian scientist gradually proceeded to the discovery and substantiation of the cyclic principle, how Sorokin applied the aforesaid principle to his historical research of art in his work on social and cultural dynamics has become so famous today and, most importantly, how the principle can be used to eliminate the unexplored facts (so called ‘white spots’) in art studies. In addition, Pitirim Sorokin’ work that is unparalleled anywhere in the world science allows to solve some difficulties that may arise in modern art studies. Meanwhile, when the work was first published, it was not understood or appraised as it deserved. However, the modern situation in the development of the cultural science makes Pitirim Sorokin’s work highly important.

Keywords: Cultural dynamics, cultural history, art history, crisis of culture, linear principle, cyclic principle, short periods of time, long periods of time, sensual culture, rational culture.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2013.5.9350

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2013.5.63380

Abstract: Anton Chekhov places the plots of all his plays in one space in order to create ‘the other space’, if not on stage then at least in thoughts and spiritual activity of the main heroes. Such space becomes an active part of the plot even though it acquire special functions and meanings in each play. This other space is opposed to the ‘real’ space where the action takes place and has a special meaning, especially when it is combined with certain models of fiction time. It is quite obvious that we can talk about the binomiality of fiction space as a particular feature of Chekhov’s mature dramaturgy. Combination of the aforesaid three plays makes up a single fiction with a common metaplot – the main heroes’ attempt to go beyond the limits of their dull life. These three plays have the ‘here and now’ chronotopos as the ‘starting point’ and the node. This chronotopos represents the ‘improper’ life style where almost everyone is unhappy and frustrated. Trying to change their life, the main heroes of Chekhov’s plays create the ‘other’ space in their minds – and this is how the binomial fiction space of all these plays are created. The heroes vacillate between these two different spaces and two different times trying to solve the main problem of their life.

Keywords: cultural research, fiction space, fiction time, chronotopos, earthly paradise, city, ‘here and now’, future, past, present, dramaturgy.

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.4.20169

Abstract: The subject of this article is the possibility and objectivity of the systems approach applied to the identification of the ontological essence of the phenomenon of mass culture that is understood by the author primarily as a form of the historical development of fundamental culture, systemic modification of the whole fixing the way to connect its separate structures with each other as well as the coherence of cultural systems depending on their functions and purposes in the movement of culture across space and time taking into account the relationship with other systems (people, society, nature). In this regard, the main scientific and theoretical basis of the article includes cultural and philosophic views of the famous Russian scientist M.S. Kagan expressed in his fundamental work "Philosophy of Culture" (1996). Noteworthy that activity grounds of culture relate to its iconic apperception and all of its space relates to the global semantic structure of subjects, objects, outcomes, processes, institutions that are also in one way or another reflected in a significant number of researches (for example, the interpretation of culture by E.A. Baller, V.P. Vizgin, V.E. Davidovich, Yu.А. Zhdanov, V.J. Kelle, Yu.M. Lotman, M.K. Mamardashvili, E.S. Markarian, A.A. Pilipenko, I.G. Yakovenko, etc.). This creates a syncretical research organum designated not just to identify the fact of culture itself but also to reveal the structural semantic grounds that define its multi-dimensional existences. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that on the basis of the unity of the world of culture, the author attempts her own gnoseological construction and logical analysis, in particular, develops the model of culture, defines algorithms of its actions from the standpoint of the production of cultural values within three components of the system (institutional, procedural, and productive), and describes the specificity of cultural consumption as a way of desobjectivation of cultural "goods" expressed in cultural patterns and artifacts.

Keywords: components of culture, cultural consumption, cultural production, theory of culture, culture and cultures, forms of culture, system of culture, systems approach, mass culture, culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.4.68091

Keywords: components of culture, cultural consumption, cultural production, theory of culture, culture and cultures, forms of culture, system of culture, systems approach, mass culture, culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.5.20170

Abstract: The subject of this article is the possibility and objectivity of the systems approach applied to the identification of the ontological essence of the phenomenon of mass culture that is understood by the author primarily as a form of the historical development of fundamental culture, systemic modification of the whole fixing the way to connect its separate structures with each other as well as the coherence of cultural systems depending on their functions and purposes in the movement of culture across space and time taking into account the relationship with other systems (people, society, nature). In this regard, the main scientific and theoretical basis of the article includes cultural and philosophic views of the famous Russian scientist M.S. Kagan expressed in his fundamental work "Philosophy of Culture" (1996). Noteworthy that activity grounds of culture relate to its iconic apperception and all of its space relates to the global semantic structure of subjects, objects, outcomes, processes, institutions that are also in one way or another reflected in a significant number of researches (for example, the interpretation of culture by E.A. Baller, V.P. Vizgin, V.E. Davidovich, Yu.А. Zhdanov, V.J. Kelle, Yu.M. Lotman, M.K. Mamardashvili, E.S. Markarian, A.A. Pilipenko, I.G. Yakovenko, etc.). This creates a syncretical research organum designated not just to identify the fact of culture itself but also to reveal the structural semantic grounds that define its multi-dimensional existences. The novelty of the research is caused by the fact that proving the idea of the need to conceptually establish the limits of the systems cultural references within the framework of its diachronic and synchronic grounds, the author makes an attempt to clarify the historical importance and purpose of the phenomenon of mass culture by the means of the systems approach. The author also clarifies terms 'mass culture' and 'masses'.

Keywords: vectors of culture, innovation, tradition, dynamics of culture, form of culture, 'mass', systems approach, culture, mass culture, theory of culture

DOI: 10.7256/2454-0625.2016.5.68262

Abstract: The article is devoted to aesthetic evaluation of Andrey Zvyagintsev's film 'Leviathan'. Using rather provocative methods, the researcher proves the genre of the flim to be a classical ancient tragedy where a protagonist, Kolya, becomes a victim of fatal events represented by a Biblical monster Leviathan. Tokmachev finds a number of features bringing together the film's heroes with the heroes of ancient tragedies (plasticity and integrity of their images, no reflection towards their own actions, irrational behavior and amechania, i.e. inactivity in extreme situations). The film's plot resembles a tragedy, too, in particular, it has a great number of narrative mismatches and accidents (recognition and peripeties) as well as a fatal chain of irreversible events and misfortunes that fell on the shoulders of the innocent hero. The researcher believes that Andrey Zvyagintsev's film has got double layers. Classical ancient tragedy is 'disguised' as a burning drama, the conflict between a 'corrupted' mayor and an 'honest' businessman unfolding among sublime beauty of the Polar Region and plain charms of provincial towns. The author of the article notes that that external conflict literally split the audience into those who supported the film and those who opposed the film. The author proves that the aforesaid conflict was not the essence of the matter but just decoration and circumstances in which the existential tragedy unfolds. Andrey Zvyagintsev excludes the episode of 'Kolya's rebellion against the mayor' from the final version of the film. At the main moments the hero stays inactive being in the state of amechania. This means that his opponent is not personified. However, neither mayor nor church is guilty in Kolya's misfortunes. Nobody is guilty here. The author reminds that the logic of ancient tragedy is different from the logic of the Judeo-Christian myth because there are no cause-and-effect relationships expressed by the 'crime and punishment' formula. Going beyond the borders of the Judeo-Christian myth or even cause-and-effect relationships, Andrey Zvyagintsev 'stops the samsara wheel' and 'screws out' the hero from numerous 'dispositifs of power' in order to see it as a purpose but not means (Immanuel Kant's expression). This allows the audience to empathize the hero or even experience a catharsis but not shallow selfish feelings relating to the support of or opposition against political preferences. This relates Andrey Zvyagintsev to the best fiction of Russian philosophy and literature.