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Belorussova S. Yu. Nagaibaks in Cyberspace

Svetlana Yu. Belorussova
Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Saint Petersburg, Russia
E-mail: Svetlana-90@yandex.ru

 

 Download  |  Go to Issue #1. 2018

 

ABSTRACT. Today Nagaibaks represent their ethnicity both in real and cyberspace. The motivation to represent one’s own culture in the web-environment gives rise to a kind of ethno-Renaissance (with the elements of ethno-competition). The Internet offers a convenient platform for the evolution of ethnicity by means of individual ethno-projects. The cases described here demonstrate that the intensive cyber-activity is characteristic of the people who left their native regions and are trying to compensate for their real-life remoteness from these places with virtual activity. In addition, the Nagaibak’s ethnicity is fueled by outside observers who express doubts or interest in their culture. Nowadays the virtual and real space of Nagaibaks is merged, often during live communication users do not leave Internet chats. Discussions on their traditional culture and even performances of certain rituals are gradually shifting into cyberspace, and everyday talks on current ethnically-marked issues often refer to cyber-sources. Thus, Nagaibaks’ reflection concerning their culture occurs mainly in the virtual environment, which projects and upgrades their ethnic identity accordingly.

 

KEYWORDS: cyberspace, ethnicity, Nagaibaks, traditional culture, social networks, self-positioning, virtuality, reality

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8619-2018-1-71-77


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