Siberian Historical Research

8-22

Authors: Sokolovskiy S.V.

The article focuses on metaphysical issues concerning identity dynamics of both human and non-human, natural and artefactual entities, with the aim of broadening the scope of current identity research in social sciences. The area of identity studies in anthropology remains conservative in limiting its focus to cultural and linguistic identities, whereas such topics as artefact’s authenticity, identity theft and fraud, and identity industries in cosmetics, design and tourist business demand new methods and broadening of the agenda of identity studies in social research.

57-86

Authors: Karavaeva D.N.

This article presents results of a historical and anthropological study of the Englishness discourse in its national, ethnic, and regional perspectives (Britishness, Englishness, and Northerness) drawing on the materials collected in Northern England (UK). Herein, the author considers the case of musical discourse (poorly studied in the academic literature) of the English identity used both among musicians and commentators, researchers and the public. Music is an important part of English cultural heritage, and such genres as “English folk” and “world music” that are currently growing more popular are involved in the identity formation and transformation. Englishness is mostly considered among folk discourse participants as a “lost”, “ignored” identity that needs to be re-opened / re-created / saved. Despite the desire of musicians to fit into a multicultural context, English folk, like the Englishness concept itself, remains in the anthropological and historical sense “monocultural”, white, and opposed to contemporary multiculturalism and Britishness. Northern (regional) identity discourse occupies, to some extent, a marginal position in the national Englishness discourse, and sometimes it`s difficult to compare it with common southern Englishness variants. The specificity of the region and its local communities, class identity and de-industrialization, regional branding, and the concept of the “North – South divide” (with a strong pattern of unequal relations between “northern periphery” and “southern metropolis”) play the main role in the Northerness discourse. Regional identity of the North is more artificial and more of a political category as compared with local identities of separate counties and towns.

98-109

Authors: Olszewska D.

The Chinese community in Bali is part of a larger Chinese Indonesian minority. Under the influence of the Balinese culture and local circumstances, it has developed a unique cultural system and regional identity of (non-ethnic) Balinese. An important aspect of interethnic relations here is the religious one, with the supernatural and related expectations being involved in the dialogue of the locally dominant group with the community.