The Problem of Dictionaries of Ethnic Cultural Concepts in Russian Scholarship

The article analyzes the problem of compiling dictionaries of ethnic cultural concepts. Such dictionaries are currently almost absent in Russian scholarship. To address this issue, the following tasks are undertaken: to examine debated fields within Russian linguoculturology, to clarify the contribution of concept dictionaries to the study of ethnic culture and language, to analyze publications dedicated to specific ethnic cultures or regions of Russia, and to formulate the main organizational and research challenges. Accordingly, the source base of this problem-oriented overview study consists of scientific publications on related topics, as well as existing concept dictionaries and thematically related editions, directly aligned with the study objectives. Russian linguoculturology possesses a rich theoretical foundation, including the capacity to develop and investigate concepts of various linguocultures and compile concept dictionaries in philological and cultural studies directions. However, a philological disciplinary bias and the predominance of research on Russian culture have been noticeable in the main trends and debates of this field over the past two decades. Studies of cultural concepts outside the philological scope remain scarce despite the example of Yu. S. Stepanov’s 1997 concept dictionary, which is regarded as exemplary. The cultural studies approach to cultural concepts allows for a broader consideration of both concepts and dictionaries than in philological works, considering not only textual sources but also sociocultural practices. Although comprehensive dictionaries of concepts do not exist, several projects focused on Bashkir and Tuvan cultures in the field of ethnocultural conceptualization are noted and recommended for consideration. The authors of such works in Russian scholarship are almost exclusively ethnocultural insiders working in national regions. Special attention is given to problems in regional science: the shortage of specialists, difficulties in collaboration between philologists, cultural scholars, and ethnographers, as well as institutional and sociocultural barriers for researchers working in the regions. This highlights the ongoing challenges faced by scholars in developing dictionaries of ethnic cultural concepts across Russian regions.

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