Фолклорът като механизъм за съхраняване на етнокултурната идентичност на гагаузите в Молдова: теоретични перспективи
Folklore as a Mechanism for Preserving the Ethno-Cultural Identity of the Gagauz in Moldova: Theoretical Perspectives

Author(s): Dimitur R. Georgiev
Subject(s): Anthropology, Social Sciences, Customs / Folklore, Sociology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, Culture and social structure , Sociology of Culture
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: folklore; ethno-cultural identity; Gagauz; symbolic boundaries; musical folklore
Summary/Abstract: This article examines folklore as a key mechanism for preserving and reproducing the ethno-cultural identity of the Gagauz community in the Republic of Moldova. Drawing on interpretative and sociological theoretical frameworks – including theories of ethnic boundaries, ethno-symbolism, and interpretative anthropology – the study demonstrates how folklore practices function as active symbolic resources. Particular attention is paid to musical folklore, festivals, and rituals as symbolic boundaries through which collective memory, social belonging, and community cohesion are maintained in a multi-ethnic context and in the absence of a nation-state. The analysis argues that Gagauz identity should be understood not as a static heritage but as a dynamic process sustained through lived cultural practices and intergenerational transmission.

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