YEREVAN STATE UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF HISTORY
ETHNOLOGY CHAIR
Ethnology (Social Anthropology)
Chair is a part of the History Department of Erevan State
University. It has been set up as a Chair in 1989. Prior to that
it was a part of Ethnology and Archeology Chair. The first Head
of the Ethnology Chair was Yury Mkrtumian. His book " The forms
of Cattle Breeding in Eastern Armenia (Second half of the 19 -
early 20) " (in Russian) and collective monograph "
LifeSustaining Culture and Ethnos" (in Russian) are serious
contributions to the research in Ethnology. Several academic
disciplines which fall into the provincen of folklore studies
are taught in a number of departments of Erevan State University
(Sociology, Theology, Psychology, Geography, Armenian Philology,
Russuan Philology and other departments). They are also taught
in other universities and colleges in.
The range of subjects taught by the Ethnology Chair of
Erevan State University is quite broad. The core subjects are
the following:
- General Ethnology
- Regional Ethnology (the Caucasus, Western Asia, Eastern
Asia, Oceania, Europe, America, Africa)
- Theoretical issues of Ethnology
- Sources of Ethnology
- Methodology of Ethnological Studies
- Urban Ethnology
- School of Ethnological Studies
- Ethnopsychology
- Ethnological Museum Studies
- Studies of Folklore and Legends
-Studies of Ethnic Music
- History of Armenian Ethnology
- Armenian Household Economy
- Armenian Customs and Traditional Law
- Armenian Culture of Life-Sustaining
- Armenian Socio-Normative Culture
-Armenian Worldview and Norms of Behavior.
Besides these core subjects some occasional short-term
courses are organized for the students. These courses target
current ethnopolitical and socio-cultural issues. In 1996-1997
lectures that targeted the following issues were held:
- East-West: Clash or Cooperation of Cultures? (Levon Zekian, Italy)
- Ethnopolitical Processes in Post-Soviet Countries (Sergey Harutunov, Moscow)
- Methodological Analysis of the Issue of Nagorno Karabagh (Suren Zolian, Yerevan)
Staff of the Chair includes the Erevan State University
professors and researchers from the research institutions of the
Armenian Academy of Sciences, including Institute of Archeology
and Ethnology, Institute of Eastern Studies, Institute of Arts,
etc.
Hranush Kharatian (Arakelian), Candidate of Historical
Sciences, is currently Head of the Chair. She graduated from the
Erevan State University in 1975 and continued her education at
the USSR Academy of Sciences Institute for Ethnology in Moscow
and Leningrad. Her scholarly interests include:
-Caucasian Civilization
- The strategies and mechanisms used by small ethnic groups
to avoid cultural assimilation.
- The Albanian-speaking ethnics of the Caucasian Albania.
- Social and cultural change in post-socialist countries
and emergence of new value systems through the encounter of
ethno- and political cultures. Hranush Kharatian is a
chairperson of two non-governmental organizations that pursue
scholarly purposes ("Caucasus" and "Armenian Center for Ethnic
Studies") and is a co-president (with academician Gagik
Sarkissian and Dr. of Philological Sc. Suren Zolian) of
"Armenian Center of Spiritually Close Nations" (NGO). Ms.
Kharatian teachers the following courses at the University:
- General Ethnology
- Social Anthropology
- Ethnology of the Caucasus
- Civilizations of Front Asia and Caucasus
- Armenian Holidays.
The staff professors of the Ethnology Chair are:
Anushavan Petrossian
1. History of Armenian Ethnology.
2. Armenian Household Economy.
3. Urban Ethnology.
4. Ethnology of Eastern Slavs.
Rafik Nahapetian
1. Armenian Socio-Normative Culture.
2. Armenian Life-Sustaining Culture.
Levon Abrahamian
1. Schools of Ethnological Studies.
2. Ethnology of Australia and Oceania.
Derenik Vardumian
Ethnology of Europe and Asia.
Sarkis Harutiunian
Studies of Folklore and Mythology.
Hamlet Petrosian
Armenian Worldview and Code of Behavior in Middle Ages.
Harutiun Marutian
Ethnology of Africa and America.
Hripsime Pickichian
1. Ethno-Music Studies.
2. Ethnological Museum Studies.
Azat Bozoyan
1. Armenian Customs and Traditional Law.
Ara Gulian
1. Theoretical Issues Etnology.
2. Ethnopsychology.
In 1996-1997 the following scholars delivered lectures to
the students at the Ethnology Chair:
- Sergey Arutiunov (Moscow, Russia)
- Levon Zekian (Rome, Italy)
- Suren Zolian (Yerevan, Armenia).