A Sociological Theory of Shamanism by S.A. Tokarev and Shamanism of Indigenous Peoples of the Far East
Этнографическое обозрение / Ethno review January 1, 2025 N.a. Solomonova
This article examines theoretical issues in the sociological study of shamanism, focusing on the work of Soviet ethnographer Sergei Tokarev, whose functionalist and comparative historical methods established a classic framework in Russian scholarship. The author adds phenomenological and hermeneutic approaches to study shamanism among Far Eastern indigenous peoples. Tokarev's theory addressed shaman formation, types, origins, hereditary shamanic disease, ecstasy's social essence, demonology, and evolutionary stages. Newer concepts in anthropology, psychology, philosophy, and cultural studies build on his work. Field materials from late 20th-century scholars confirm that shamanic rituals remain an important part of these peoples' cultural legacy.