Socio-psychological features of the ethnic identity of Russians living in Azerbaijan

Abstract

Background. Ethnic identity is an important factor in the interaction of different cultures. Studying an ethnic group that lives outside its historical homeland allows to better understand the role that living in a foreign cultural environment plays in the feeling of belonging to one’s people.

Objectives. The study had its purpose to analyze the socio-psychological characteristics of the ethnic identity of Russians living in Azerbaijan compared with Russians living in Russia and Azerbaijanis living in Azerbaijan.

Study Participants. The study involved 185 respondents (71 Russians living in Azerbaijan, 76 Azerbaijanis living in Azerbaijan, and 38 Russians living in Russia) aged 18 to 70 (M = 34,2; SD = 15,8).

Methods. The survey included the authors’ questionnaire and J. Phinney’s inventory (MEIM) adapted by A.M. Arbitailo. The processing methods implemented the Mann — Whitney U test, Pearson chi-square, Fisher’s phi test, and content analysis of open questions.

Results. The study results show that ethnic identity level among Russians in Azerbaijan is lower than among Russians in Russia, which may be due to the influence of Azerbaijani culture and assimilation processes. It was also found that ethnic identity of Russians in Azerbaijan often includes elements of local culture, which supports the assumption of conglomeration processes. An analysis of perception of cultural archetypes and ethno-differentiating features among Russians and Azerbaijanis indicates differences in the perception of cultural and ethnic characteristics, which emphasizes the complexity of the processes of integration and identification in multicultural setting.

Conclusions. The ethnic identity of Russians in Azerbaijan is characterized by a lower level of expression and assimilation of some elements of Azerbaijani culture in its cognitive component. However, the differences in behavioral patterns and values indicate the formation of a conglomerate identity, where ethnic, linguistic, and national identities interact though do not completely merge.

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