Mediterranean Studies in the modern socio-humanistic knowledge

Abstract

Sociocultural processes, political situation and cultural contacts in the Mediterranean countries substantiate the relevance of development of the humanities section in Mediterranean Studies. The author discusses the problem on the advancement of Mediterranean Studies in Russia and abroad, as well as indicates the key questions faced by the scholars of Mediterranean Studies at the initial stage of analytical work. The object of this research is the establishment methodological framework of Mediterranean Studies in the sphere of humanities. The subject is the concepts of prominent theoreticians in the field of Mediterranean studies (D. Abulafia, R. Clement, S. Stroumsa, N. Bouchard, F. Braudel, H. Pirenne). The goal consists in determination of the relevant problems and approaches toward studying the Mediterranean Region. Due to the fact that in the Russian Science close attention is given to natural scientific vector of Mediterranean Studies, there are virtually no research on the development of Mediterranean Studies in the sphere of humanities, and namely culturology, which defines the scientific novelty of this work. The main conclusion consists in the analytical overview of the state of Mediterranean Studies in Russia, as well as in explication of foreign theories that reveal the concept of the “Mediterranean” and approaches towards its examination. This work can attract the attention of translators to the research bases of foreign centers of the Mediterranean Studies, contribute to scientific communication, as well as designate the topic for international research projects in the area of culturology, history, and international relations in Russia.