The Relational Version of Contemporary Civilizational Analysis and Its Reception by Russian Sociologists

Abstract: 
Civilizational analysis as a new paradigm of world historical sociology has been formed during the last two decades. The “relational” perspective represented by Johann Arnason can be singled out within this paradigm. The importance of intercivilizational encounters for the dynamics of traditional civilizations and different forms of modernity has been emphasized in his works. Arnason characterizes the relations of the West with other civilizations as interaction of local traditions, western traditions and interpretations of modernity. Particular attention is devoted to the dynamics of the Soviet model of modernity. The Soviet system defined itself as an alternative to western liberal modernity which it tried to transcend in the economic, political and cultural spheres. Arnason regards the Soviet system as a model of modernity rather than civilization. Nevertheless, he finds civilizational aspects in interaction between the USSR and the West. Arnason’s theory can be seen as an alternative to Stephen Kotkin’s analysis of “Stalinism as a civilization” and Samuel Huntington’s “clash of civilizations” thesis. On the basis of the Weberian tradition in historical sociology Arnason offers an original approach to intercivilizational encounters of the modern epoch. The interest in Arnason’s ideas has been growing in Russian sociology since early 2010s. An important step towards reception of his approach was made at the conference “Civilizational Dynamics of Modern Societies” that was held in 2011. At the present moment this perspective is used in comparative-historical studies, for example, in comparative analysis of civilizational dynamics of Russia and Latin America.

For citation: Maslovskiy M.V. The Relational Version of Contemporary Civilizational Analysis and Its Reception by Russian Sociologists. St. Petersburg Sociology Today. 2018. N. 9. P. 169-186.

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