Cultural identity of urban communities of the historical reenactors

Abstract

The object of this research is the cultural identity of urban communities of the historical reenactors. The subject of the author’s scientific interest is the mechanisms and practices substantiating the specificity of positive cultural identity of the communities, united within the framework of the historical reenactment movement. The article examines the dominant trends in the development of modern reenactment movement: trend towards the fragmentation of movement and complication of the structure of collective identity, and intention towards unity. Special attention is given to the identification of mechanisms that allow retaining and maintaining balance between the processes of differentiation and integration of reenactment movement. Methodologically, the author’s understanding of the specificity of collective identity of the historical reenactors is based on the theoretical ideas of H. Blumer, N. Smelser and P. Sztompka, as well as the theory of new social movements that focus attention on their sociocultural dimension. The scientific novelty consists in the fact that this article is first to comprehensively analyze cultural components of the collective identity of the historical reenactment movement; as well as determine its structural components, mechanism and characteristic attributes. It is substantiated that under the influence of the modern global trends, cultural identity of reenactors along with the basic components attaints the new ones that contribute to the expansion of cultural-historical mobility and cohesion of reenactment movement.