Methods of cultural studies

Science is culturology, a relatively new one, still at the stage of becoming, and emerging at the intersection, of such sciences as philosophy, psychology, history, linguistics, sociology and the like of the humanities. By concentrating the data of these sciences in the study of culture, its structure and dynamics of development, culturology also uses their methods in their studies.

It is important to note that there is no single scientific approach to the study of any subject. Each method has its own merits, but also disadvantages, so for each study you need to carefully choose the method of solving the problem. Culturology as a related science with a variety of interdisciplinary connections uses various methods of cultural studies, as well as methods of related sciences.

The object of cultural studies is culture, and the world of culture is like a holistic structure.

Methods of cultural studies

To the very first method is the evolutionary method, which was effectively used at the initial stage of culturology development first by the English school of E. Tylor, and then in the first half of the 20th century by L. Levy-Bruhl for analysis of the connection between culture and the features of human thinking. This method, along with the dialectical one, studies culture as a dynamic structure with a chain of successive changes, and also takes into account changes that take place abruptly, and even jumpwise, such as a cultural revolution, is part of the historical method.

The methods of cultural studies also include a structural method. It is focused on the study of the structure of the cultural system and the interrelationships between the elements of the system, for example, between religion and science.

Also in the methods of cultural studies is a functional method that explores the functions of culture, such as a cultural phenomenon such as religion and its impact on society. This method, from the point of view of functions, attaches great importance to the study of people's interests and requests, ways of meeting their needs, as each cultural element has its own special function. The functional method, revealing the general laws of the functioning of all cultures, gives any cultural element an explanation.

The system method is also included in the methods of cultural studies. He studies any culture as a whole, in which everything is connected, without having separate elements. Having studied these properties, this method allows us to give a general definition of a culture, for example, a military one.

The typological method is used in cultural studies to study and identify the type of culture, revealing the most characteristic and important features of this culture. This method allows you to identify such types of cultures as the western and eastern.

The comparative method is also actively used in cultural studies, since it allows, by comparing cultural phenomena and different cultures, to reveal common morphological features, structure and features of cultures.

The comparative method of culturological research makes it possible to carry out a comparative-historical analysis of different cultures or some area of culture for a certain period of time. Comparing usually some kind of common for these cultures area to reveal their difference.

In addition to these methods, culturology uses methods used in various areas of society, for example, analysis and synthesis, abstraction, classification (ordering on the basis of a single sign of culture or cultural phenomenon), induction and deduction, and many others.

Using all possible methods, culturology makes it possible to study the world of culture and understand it.