Post-Soviet Transformations in Pastoral Systems in the North Caucasus: The Development of Hybrid Institutions

Mountain Research and Development

article

Alexey Gunya¹  Umar Gairabekov²  Yuri Karaev³  Alexey Lysenko⁴  Ruslan Elmurzaev²  Halimat Janibekova⁵ 

[1] Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences;Chechen State University;North Caucasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy ,(State Technological University);North-Caucasus Federal University;Karachay-Cherkess State University

关键词: transhumance;    pastoralism;    mountain;    cattle breeding;    pasture;    traditional institutions;    institutional hybrids;    NorthCaucasus;   

DOI  :  10.1659/MRD-JOURNAL-D-20-00047.1

来源: BioOne

【 摘 要 】

This article describes thecondition and spread of oneof the most mobile forms ofpastoralism, transhumance,as well as factors andtransition pathways that havetaken place in the pastoralsystems of the NorthCaucasus. The weakening of centralization and control over localeconomies, as well as the cessation of subsidies to collective andstate farms in the 1990s, led to the destruction of state-regulatedtranshumance. At the same time, traditional institutions and localforms of social organization, such as ethnic groups, tribal alliances,and family associations, are playing an important role. This study isbased on mapping of pasture use, analysis of statistical data, andinterviews with shepherds, municipal authority representatives,and government officials from regional agricultural departments. Itdescribes the factors promoting or limiting transhumance in 4regions (Dagestan, Chechnya, North Ossetia–Alania, andKarachay–Cherkessia), including ethnicity, land tenure, the statusof privatization of agricultural land, and centralization of power.Leading actors and institutions in 3 periods, pre-Revolutionary,Soviet, and post-Soviet, are considered, with a more detailedanalysis of the last period right up to present times. The role ofresettlement of people from the mountains to the plains in theSoviet period, which contributed to the development oftranshumance in the modern period, is emphasized. Institutionalhybrids are discussed, including formal state and informal(traditional and new) rules to regulate the use of pastures duringthe transition from the Soviet central planning system to marketrelations.

【 授权许可】

CC BY