Ethnopedagogy brings together various branches of folk pedagogy into a unified scientific system and serves as a tool for creating its theoretical basis. The main task of ethnopedagogy is ensuring holistic development of a person on the basis of national culture, spiritual wealth of the people.
The term "ethnos", when translated into Kazakh, is very close to such concept as "nation". Its emergernce, development, difference from other nations' ethnoculture, attitudes towards world civilizations, susceptibility or non-susceptibility to assimilation are considered from a theoretical perspective. The scientific methodology is engaged in the process of studying the culture of the nation. In the course of their lives, due to the influence of historical events and social formations, ethnic groups can undergo various changes. Since the life of each ethnos is directly related to the geographical, social, and economic situation, this life can sometimes be short, sometimes long. For example, there are nations of ancient times that disappeared: Dzungars, Shors, Kalmyks, Kyzylbases and many others. All living creatures are to a great extent influenced by the geographical factor, unfavorable conditions may cause a change of the habitat or even death. Adaptation of living organisms to geographic conditions in studied in the biology. Works by L.N. Gumilyov show that geography needs to be taken into account when studying ethnicities. Along with biology and geography, the process of the emergence and development of an ethnos is also studied by history. In many studies of previous years (the Soviet period), it was history that played the leading role in studying the origin and development of nations.
The reason why now geography is put on the first place is the direct connection of a person's life with nature and relief. The second place of biology can be explained by organism's adaptation to living conditions. After successful adaptation, some people create a language in the geographical area where they live, unite with each other and thus develop to the level of a tribe. So, when studying the history of a specific ethnic group, one should not ignore the geographical and biological factors, as no group can possible exist in isolation from nature.
Thus, there is one characteristic that applies to all ethnic groups: connection with the nature. Analyzing this connection, people do not necessarily know such sciences as geography, biology and history. As a result of the fact that people are in a permanent contact with nature, each ethnos creates its own rules for coexisting with it. Ancient people began to study the sky and tried to find ways to heal. As time went on, people expanded their knowledge of the world until it developed to science as we know it today.
This link between ethnos and nature became the subject of research only in the 15-20th centuries. The above-mentioned period is marked by scientific discoveries, expansion of branches of science, their autonomy. This is also when sciences that study the state of society emerged: history, social science, political economy, sociology, historical and materialistic dialectics.
Ethnology, ethnopsychology, ethnopedagogy - all of these sciences tried to determine the peculiarity of each nation and reveal the secrets of its longevity.
To get an in-depth insight in to an ethnos's life, it is not enough to take into account only geographical conditions, it is necessary to carry out a systemic study of the regional, economic, cultural, psychological as well as the language aspects.
System of the above sciences:
70 years ago Zh. Aimauytov, the famous writer, researcher, and author of the first textbook on Psychology in the Kazakh language, wrote in his book "Educator" that the native language is the language through which people perceive their own culture as well as the cultures of neighboring peoples, which leads to learning and understanding world culture.
Akhmet Baitursynov, a member of Alash, carefully studied the nature of the Kazakh language and created a new version of the Kazakh alphabet based on the Arabic writing. He is the author of the famous phrase "The people who have lost their language will disappear. Nations that wanted to convert others to their people first exterminated the native language of this people", which has not lost its relevance to this day.
Ethnolinguistics is focused on the national language and considers it as an educational tool, ethnopsychology reveals the inner soul, the spirit of the people. Ethnolinguistics studies the language in its relation to the culture of the people, psycholinguistics – in relation to the individual psychology of a person, sociolinguistics - with respect to the development of laws in society.
At the present stage, ethnolinguistics has a complex character: it is located at the junction of a number of sciences - linguistics, ethnology, folklore studies, mythology, and culturology.
Ethnopedagogy is closely connected with ethnopsychology, ethnography, ethnoculture, and ethnolinguistics. In turn, ethnolinguistics has links with folkloristics, ethnology, culturology, mythology (worship of Aziz-Shashty, Anet Baba), as each of these sciences helps to study the nature of ethnoses, their features. Almost all of the listed sciences contribute to the definition of ethnic characteristics.
The definition of ethnicity can be obtained with the help of philosophy, the science that is capable of generalization at a higher theoretical level with the use of a more general and profound methodology that makes it possible to reveal the essence of a very complex phenomenon, e.g. ethnicity. It makes it possible to reveal a connection between nature and humanity that we inherit from the previous generations.
The concept of "human capital" refers to a living organism of the highest biological value, a member of society, a representative of the people. Every person, from infancy to the deathbed, is a priceless treasure, the highest value.
The society, in turn, affects the nature with all its vital activity. Through material production, society exerts its considerable influence on nature: using natural resources, cultivating and transforming them, polluting and protecting the environment. The history of the joint existence of society and nature is a unity of two tendencies: with the development of society, the domination of man over nature is expanding, while the disharmony between society and nature is constantly increasing.
The regularity of the interaction between society and nature is the exchange of substances between them: a man consumes the substances of nature and gives back products of his/her vital activity. This exchange is carried out mainly through production, during which by consuming natural resources for the production of material goods, society returns to nature the products of life and production waste. At present, these wastes contaminate nature to such an extent that there is a danger of disturbing the dynamic balance of the biosphere processes.
In this regard, each nation has its own superstitions, beliefs, assumptions regarding the protection of nature. The social structure consists of basic and artificial phenomena. Nature and its wealth are the basis, and all that is produced by a man is artificial. There is no equality between the social system and the ethnos.
The history of each autonomous ethnic group is closely connected with the history of their neighbors. Interethnic exchange harms the preservation of the original national code.
Native speech is an instrument for the development of the higher levels of the psyche of a growing person. Teaching native speech to a a child contributes to the development of his/her intellect and higher emotions, prepares the ground for successful learning in school, creativity and work. Later children can study other languages that will help them reach a new level.
And if children learn three or four languages at once, then all their strength and energy will be consumed by this learning. This was written in the theory of languages. Research of the roots of ethnoses began from ancient times and continues to this day with the help of cultural and historical monuments.
Ethnic studies begin with an analysis of ancient historical and cultural monuments. Each ethnos creates its own material and cultural wealth. For example, each ethnic group has its own special tools for labor and production, traditions and customs, views on religion. Tools can be classified into several groups depending on their designated use: 1) daily consumption tools, 2) work tools 3) tools required for customs and traditions, 4) tools connected with the spiritual values of the people. Oral works have been preserved for many centuries simply by memory, but not by the memory of one individual or even several people, they were saved "by common labor, in the common memory". The peculiarities of the living conditions of ethnoses in the ancient (stone) centuries are evidenced by the ceramic pottery with national ornamental patterns left as a legacy. Many findings were presented by archaeological excavations: women's jewelry in the form of earrings, bracelets and rings, as well as dishes, household utensils, animal bones, etc.
As of today, archaeological excavations play a special role. Cultural heritage, in whatever form it is, performs its function.
Archaeologists use excavations for comparison, analysis, generalization and reveal trade and cultural relations of each period. For example, the monument "Altyn Adam" proofs that the Kazakhs were not poor, knew how to protect the natural wealth and use it as a value.
The possibilities for developing an individual culture of each ethnic group are limited. For example, from time immemorial, the architectural style of the French and the Greeks was very similar. Such similarity is connected not with genetic, but with trade and cultural relations. Despite the fact that the dagger, sword, etc. are things that are common for all ethnic groups, their design, carving, patterns depend on the imagination and activity of each ethnos. Thus, the individual style and level of complexity of material objects manufactured by members of a certain ethnic group to a large extent depend on this group’s its cultural and creative level.
Therefore, the prosperity of an ethnos and its subsequent development largely depend on the well-being of nature. Instead of the culture of the ancient centuries, new cities appeared. Instead of Kuzorda, Farabi, Yasa, Kimak and other cities, new cities appeared, e.g. Taraz, Turkistan, Pavlodar.
Saka, Huns, and Kipchaks made their contribution to the world cultural heritage. This era is characterized by the fact that there were significant changes in the social system and family-marital relations. Several ethnic groups disappeared and new ones emerged. In case of any kind of violation of the balance of nature, it is difficult for mankind to avoid these crisis consequences.
According to this basic conception, nature should be above society. The main reason for that is that a person receives well-being only from natural resources. When we talk about not a single person but society as a whole, people can benefit not only from nature, but also from their own intellectual potential embodying it in material artifacts. However, a technologically advanced society can go far in producing and changing inanimate objects, but they still cannot create a new living creature. The richness of nature with its fantastic variety of plants and animals will always remain unsurpassed.
As Bukhar Zhyrau said, high mountains can turn into a hill, and good can turn into bad. Such adverse events as the drying up of lakes and rivers (e.g., the desiccation of the Aral Sea) are evidence of the dialectical regularity of nature.
Such monuments as the mausoleum of Yassaui, Eifel Tower, etc., that were built by the hands of man several centuries ago, remain unchanged. Each of them has become a unique part of the cultural legacy of the past.
It is wrong to think that people who break the laws of nature will always move forward in their cultural and technological development. In the 8th century BC Scythians, who lived on the Black Sea coast, created the state that was known to the whole world for 500 years. Unfortunately, in the 3rd century BC they disappeared after the Sarmatian attack. The Sarmatians ruled for 700 years, they also lost their culture and customs after the Huns attack. The Huns were defeated by the Bulgarians. The regression of nations occurred more often than their progression. The dynamics of the development of ethnogenous culture is different for each ethnos, the method of analyzing the national heritage can show the formation and disappearance of values.
Scientists have proved that the history of culture and the history of the ethnos are at different levels. The dynamic development of ethnogenesis is measured by the quantity and quality of events that occurred at a certain time. The emergence of events and their decline is a natural phenomenon. "Ethnic history" is often judged by objects that currently can be found only in museums. However, the legacy left by a certain ethnos is not always tangible in form.
It is important to note some ethnic groups in terms of the cultural heritage that they have left. Their structural classification is as follows:
- The Babylonians left a legacy of knowledge of the basics of mathematical science, which is still used today;
- Greeks left theatrical art and philosophy that have been developing throughout human history;
- Romans were the first people who created the foundations of jurisprudence;
- The Arabs enriched the stock of knowledge, and left algebra as the heritage for all the peoples of the world;
- the French learned the basics of fine arts and painting and showed them to the whole world, they made titanic efforts for their development;
- Italians are famous for their musical culture;
- Kazakh people passed from one generation to another samples of the richest oral folk art and thus became famous among other nations.
The above structural classification can be continued indefinitely. Although the form of this classification may be different, its content, i.e. some characteristics peculiar to the specific ethonos, will remain the same.
Abu Nasir al Farabi claimed that the above mentioned ethnic groups pursued only one global goal. They just wanted the future generations to live happily. Exclusive values of cultural heritage left by ethnic groups of the past do not always reach us in their original form. We cannot make judgements about history only on the basis of the material artifacts remained from a certain period without taking into consideration what might have been lost. Even iron rusts with time, and objects made of wood and felt may dissappear altogether. Some artifacts may be lost forever because of cataclysms of nature. People suffer from earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, etc. Such natural disasters need to be taken into account when talking about cultural monuments and heritage. It is even more important to remember that there are no "more important" and "less important" ethnic groups. All of them are equally important. Arrogance and disrepectfulness towards other peoples may have dangerous consequences, and even lead to genocide of "uncultured ethnoses". Culture of a specific ethnic group does not develop evenly and there can be stages of development or decline. When it comes to ethnoculture, it is necessary to remember the principles of many sciences, such as history, archeology, ethnology, ethnopsychology, ethnopedagogy, folklore studies, literature, etc. There are a number of works by researchers who have made up the theoretical, methodological basis of ethno-pedagogy.
G.N. Volkov explored the theoretical aspect of the ethnic peculiarities, ethnic psychology and pedagogy of the peoples of the CIS countries and proposed various branches:
We should also mention other researchers who have made a certain contribution to various branches of ethnopedagogy.
Scientists who explored the ethnopedagogical branches:
The methodology of ethnopedagogy was founded by G.N. Volkov, S. Kaliev, K.Zh. Kozhakhmetova, Zh.Zh. Nauryzbai, S.A. Uzakbayeva, Yu.A. Rud, E.L. Khristova, G.I. Baturina, R.K. Toleubekova, Ye. Zhumatayeva, K. Boleyev;
Historical ethnopedagogy: T.N. Petrova. In Kazakhstan: K.B. Zharykbayev, T.N. Alsatov;
Regional ethnopedagogy: Sh. M. Arsaliyev, A.L. Bugayeva, M.N. Yegorov, A. Ashaiuly;
Analytical pedagogy: G.N. Volkov;
Game-based ethnopedagogy: V.M. Grigoryev;
Aphoristic ethnopedagogy: Z.V. Tsallagova;
Family ethnopedagogy: E.N. Sokolnikova, R.K. Toleubekova;
Ethnopedagogical andropology: L. K. Rakhlevskaya;
Ethnopedagogical education: M.G. Kharitonov, S.A. Uzakbayeva, K.Zh. Kozhakhmetova, Zh. Asanov, K. Boleyev, N. Kosherov;
Ethnosocial pedagogy: A.A. Grigorieva, Shadrina, D.E. Shalov;
Comparative ethnopedagogics: V.A. Ivanov, M. Fedorova, B.A. Zhetispayeva, A.B. Kaliyeva, O.Ya. Suleimenova;
Subethnic pedagogics - А.М. Leonov;
Ethno-cultural education in Kazakhstan developing outside the above system: Zh.Zh. Nauryzbai;
Multicultural education - N. Kosherov, L. Seksenbayeva.
The term "ethnopedagogy" in pedagogical literature was first used by G.N. Volkov who defined it as a science.
Concretizing the term "folk pedagogy", E.A. Khristova concludes that it is necessary to consider two more similar but not identical concepts - "pedagogical folk culture" and "pedagogical traditional-everyday culture." S. Kaliyev defined the theory of ethnopedagogy of Kazakh people. The people's pedagogy views philosophy from the ethnic point of view, pays great attention to the close connection between ethnopsychology and national culture.
The theory, according to which an ethnic environment forms an ethnic subject, was introduced by the researcher Zh. Nauryzbai. He proved that national education is an instructive form of ethnopedagogy. Particular attention is paid to the peculiarities of the ethnic environment, since the ethnic subject resides in this environment. From this point of view, it is considered that there are as many ethnoses as there are ethnic cultures. As of today, assistance in maintaining ethnic environments is proved to all ethnic groups residing on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan by the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan.
S.A. Uzakbayeva is one of the scientists who studied the subject of ethnopedagogy from the perspective of musical art, compiled a program and a concept, considered ethnopedagogy as the fruit of painstaking education, discovered its phenomenon.
1) R.K. Toleubekova studied the problem of humanism in folk pedagogy, developed its theoretical methodology.
2) Ye. Zhumatayeva formed the basis of patriotic education in folk pedagogy through researching works of front-line writers.
In the theoretical basis of the ethnic culture of the Kazakh people, special attention is paid to the philosophy of folk pedagogy. According to the laws of dialectics, one can not draw conclusions about the scientific and theoretical basis of ethnopedagogy from the works of only one researcher, and this has been proved for years.
Therefore, when considering the purpose and subject of ethnopedagogy, it is important to ask oneself what other methods, approaches, tools and techniques are available today, assess theoretical conclusions, group them, pay attention to practical issues of inter-ethnic relations in Independent Kazakhstan. This is the methodological basis.
When analyzing researchers' works, the following methodological principles are recommended:
Research requires understanding of all of its aspects, connections with related sciences (anthropology, history, ethnology, folklore studies, logic, psychology, sociology, archeology), as well as abilites to draw conclusions and propose methods of research.
Questions for students’ knowledge assessment:
Literature: