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ButovskayaM., Imameev E. Morality in the Karachai Society as Means to Ensure Optimal Cooperation

M. Butovskaya
Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology of the Russian Academy of Sciences;
Russian State University for the Humanities
Moscow, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0000-0002-5528-0519
E-mail: marina.butovskaya@gmail.com

 

E. Imameev
M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University
Moscow, Russian Federation
ORCID: 0009-0008-3626-7002
E-mail: natterera99@mail.ru

 

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ABSTRACT. In the light of the modern scientific paradigm of “morality as cooperation”, morality plays a significant role in cooperation among human beings. For a long time, the question of the universality of morality among representatives of different ethnic groups remained open. Today, specialists of various scientific disciplines, including social anthropologists and crosscultural psychologists, confirm the existence of common perceptions of moral behavior for all people. In this paper, we investigated the ethical attitudes of a traditional society living in the North Caucasus — the Karachais. During the study, respondents were asked to rate the social acceptability of the behaviors depicted in the pictures. The pictures pre-selected for the study reflected the ideological characteristics of respondents of Karachai nationality: loyalty to the group, respect for private property, family values, protection, and heroism. The obtained data revealed that Karachai people consider it essential to show respect to the elderly; women of Karachai nationality consider using force against children unacceptable. The paper attempted to explain the findings from the evolutionary point of view, showing new ways to interpret the national mentality of traditional and post-industrial societies within the concept of “morality as cooperation”.

 

KEYWORDS: cooperation, traditional societies, moral values, Karachai people, national mentality

 

DOI 10.31250/2618-8600-2024-2(24)-214-231
UDC 316.77(=512.142) 

 

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