Within the framework of cooperation between Yerevan State University and the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography of the Armenian National Academy of Sciences, students of different years from the YSU Faculty of History are involved in ethnographic field research works both in Armenia and abroad.
Emma Ghukasyan, a 4th-year student of the "Archaeology and Ethnography" undergraduate educational program of the YSU Faculty of History, conducted research related to refugees in Russia from December 3-17 of this year under the supervision of Arsen Hakobyan, Associate Professor of the Chair of Culturology.
"We visited the cities of Mineralnye Vody, Krasnodar and Rostov, took interviews with Armenians who emigrated from Azerbaijan in 1988, studied the reasons for their leaving their homes, as well as a number of issues related to losses and current problems. The collected material will be compared with historical facts, which can become a guideline for new conclusions in the future," said Emma.
She emphasized that they established contact with folklorists both during their stay in Armenia and in Russia, looking for and meeting them, which is quite difficult in a foreign country.
Emma is the first student of the "Archaeology and Ethnography" educational program who went abroad to conduct ethnographic field research. She said that she has been doing such research in Armenia since the third year of her studies.
Referring to her chosen profession, she said that they practically try to show how events developed and what consequences they had. According to her, these studies may contribute to taking more effective steps when facing such problems in the future.
"An opportunity was provided to me to get acquainted with ethnographic methods in the field of research, which was very significant in terms of practical application of the gained theoretical knowledge. Participating in fieldwork was a great experience for me, as it is one of the most important components of my profession. And I consider it important to address the topic of refugees since we are facing that problem even now," said Emma.
Comparing the research conducted in Armenia and Russia, Emma assured that communication with folklorists in Armenia was rather easy. "We stayed with the professors in a village for several days and talked with folklorists. The difficulty here is that time is short, and it is not so easy to win the trust of a folklorist."
All materials collected as a result of the research are preserved at the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography and are available to researchers, including YSU professors and students. The results of the research work are later published as scientific articles and are also included in the final works of the students.
Presenting the research work, the student from the Faculty of History stated that every researcher may find useful information within the scope of his/her interest among the collected materials, such as materials related to integration problems, studies on non-observance of holidays, and various materials related to other topics.
It should be noted that this year more than ten students from the YSU Faculty of History were involved in ethnographic field research.
