Lamažaa, Č.K.

This monograph is devoted to the issues concerning the social transformations of the Republic of Tuva (Tyva) by means of the Theory of Modernization. This approach enables an analysis of the social life of the region from different points of view. The majority of these views is disclosed for the first time in a research about Tuva. The Theory of modernization bases itself on the analysis of the culture as a factor of social transformations. As a consequence of this approach a new method of dating the Tuvan history is composed. The following stages are considered: the Traditional period, from the 6th and 12th centuries to the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, when the development of the Tuvan society went in an evolutionary way; the Tuvan modernization – a stage of expansion of modernization processes (the first three decades of the 20th century); the Forced Mobilization of Tuva – the period of Soviet modernization in the republic, precipitated by cultural trauma (1930’s–1990’s); Demodernization or “the new Middle Ages” of Tuva – a crisis of modernizational development (1990’s till the present day). The issues of the Tuvan national character are revealed for the first time. These relate with the problems around social development of the region. For the first time the problem of the political culture of Tuvans is considered while defining its basic principles. The traditional character of political culture and the return of political and social life in Tuva to its atavistic roots in the Post-Soviet era have led to strengthening of clan forming in power. The term “clan” is examined here because it has been treated ambiguously in social science analysis until now. The problem of clan forming within the power structure in Tuva is analyzed separately, starting from ancient times and finishing with the clan corpo-ration of the first Tuvan President Sherig-ool Dizizhikovich Oorzhak. The Theory of Modernization facilitates conjectures about the future as well as an analysis of the history of the society. This monograph explores the trends that are identified, such as, trend scenarios, image scenarios, ideology scenarios. The problems of Tuvan modernization should be resolved as a part of the Russian modernization. But the people of Tuva should aspire to bring about change in their own region. That is the reason why we need to pay attention to the examples of personal modernization. In this context Tuvans in Moscow – people of Tuva origin living in a modern megapolis, are incorporated into the research for the first time. They are gaining new experiences, without abandoning their traditions. The causes and possible results of the social, economic and political prob-lems of the region are analysed according to the Generational Theory. Tuvan generations of the 20th century are analyzed for the first time. Because the majority of socially active generations have a negative experience of past reforms, a question arises as to whether Tuvan society will become modernised in the near future.
However, the prospects of development of Tuva are regarded as optimistic. The culture of Tuvans is characterized as productive, it has an ideology of success and ethno-mobilizing factors.