Razumova I. A., I. A., Suleymanova, O. A. THE SAMI COMMUNITY NETWORK IN THE “ETHNIC” INTERNET IN RUSSIA // Proceedings of Petrozavodsk State University. 2019. No 2 (179). P. 114–122. DOI: 10.15393/uchz.art.2019.299


Ethnology, anthropology and ethnography

THE SAMI COMMUNITY NETWORK IN THE “ETHNIC” INTERNET IN RUSSIA

Razumova I. A.
I. A. 		Barents Centre of the Humanities – Branch of the Federal Research Centre “Kola Science Centre of the RAS”
Suleymanova
O. A. 		Barents Centre of the Humanities – Branch of the Federal Research Centre “Kola Science Centre of the RAS”
Keywords:
Kola Sami
social network
virtual community
functions
cyber-ethnicity
ethnic symbolism		 Summary: The article is devoted to the actual problems associated with the identification and functioning of virtual network communities that form the segment of the “ethnic Internet”. The authors believe that the definition of an online community as an ethnic one is carried out not through social categories, but through an empirical description of the content, meaning and purpose of information. For the first time we consider the Kola Sami cyber communities on the material of the Russian social network Vkontakte. The types of online groups in their relation to offline communities and organizations are identified. The functions of network communication are defined. They vary depending on the status of the participants. The adoption and transmission of cyber-ethnicity is a core function of all types of groups, including commercial groups. The study showed that virtual Sami communities represent traditional culture in many ways, but unevenly. The results show the significant efforts of the Sami activists aimed at the actualization of traditional culture and its use as an economic resource. Commercialization of Sami symbolism and its “profanity” cause heated debate. The analysis did not reveal nationalist tendencies. The legal aspects of Sami life, the problems of translation of cultural heritage and socialization of Sami youth are of high importance for the communities.



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