Mechanisms for Preserving the Institution of the Family: National Characteristics

Abstract

The formation of family values in the younger generation begins at the earliest stages of personality formation within the family and continues in the socialization process in society. The value system associated with the institution of marriage and the family is transmitted through various channels, ranging from parenting to the virtual environment. The border areas, such as the Astrakhan Region, which are characterized by interfaith marriage unions, are a special environment, in which there are own mechanisms for preserving the institution of the family and special channels for transmitting family values. One of these mechanisms is the reconstruction of the traditional wedding ceremony. Within the framework of the present research, the authors studied archival documents containing information about the traditional wedding ceremonies of the peoples living in the Astrakhan Region. There was also a content analysis of ritual traditions related to the creation of a new family (matchmaking, wedding, etc.), in the reconstruction of which the modern cultural organizations of the region were involved. The research results show that the reconstructed wedding ceremony between partners, when one of them is a representative of another nationality and religion, is a kind of portal, through which the future spouse enters a new cultural environment for him or her and begins his or her adaptation already at the initial stage of creating a family union.