STAGE - a part of a subperiod within which clearly distinguished specific political, economic and/or social transformations / reorganisation of SCS, not necessarily connected with recurrent completed changes in a process of its space assimilation, take place.
Stage is usually a historically brief interval of time and is only identified when a very detailed analysis of the SCS's evolution is being made. Presence of a certain political, economic and/or social specifics in the SCS's evolution is a criterion to single out a stage.
Idea of a stage is extremely important to correctly interpret a historical data on specific SCS's evolution. Socio-cultural approach isn't just general theoretical construction, but it's a tool and basis for examination and interpretation of concrete processes and events.
APPENDIX 2.
TYPES OF THE SOCIO-CULTURAL FORMATIONS
SOCIO-CULTURAL TYPE'S INDICATIONS / QUALITIES
SOCIO-CULTURAL SPACE
1.1. Relatively large areas of permanent inhabitancy
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Always possesses and controls significant territories
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Never comparable to the SCS' space. As a rule, it's much less than the territory of any taken separately SCS, and may be quite insignificant
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Never comparable with the SCS' space. As a rule, it's much less than the territory of any taken separately SCS, and as the neighbouring socio-cultural systems progress, decreases to a certain modest size
Mixed socio-cultural region
May possess quite large initial area, but demonstrates persistent tendency to its gradual reduction, due to various parts of the territory assimilation into and by other socio-cultural formations - socio-cultural systems and domains
1.2. Homeland where significant quantities of its population live permanently
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Always has own homeland where significant part of its population lives continually
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
In accordance with this particular criterion, there are two types of socio-cultural domains:
* Stable SCD, with permanent homeland and permanent population;
* Sporadic SCD, with homeland where its population may be absent for centuries
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Homeland exists, but it's extremely changeable in configuration and size, and unstable. Its fluctuations depend mainly on external factors, such as pressure from the side of a neighbouring SCS-s. Furthermore, homeland cannot be defined absolutely exactly within an entire area of inhabitancy and control of this particular socio-cultural type's population as a whole
Mixed socio-cultural region
Homeland has no definite, precise character. At the developed stage, micro-differences of the neighbouring socio-cultural enclaves' homelands may take place. Representatives of the various socio-cultural systems and domains have own homelands within the mixed region
1.3. Ability to expand the homeland, through assimilation into it new territories
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Has the ability to assimilate the new territories into own homeland, as a rule, in regard to territories bordering with the old homeland and extended from its boundaries for any distance. This ability is the unique quality and indication of SCS
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Has no such ability. Only temporary changes of the space under control may take place. In practice, homeland never changes to grow
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Has no such ability. Homeland may hardly be defined from an entire area of permanent inhabitancy of the particular socio-cultural buffer zone's population and its temporary control. Homeland never grows as a result of new territories assimilation
Mixed socio-cultural region
Socio-cultural systems' homelands expand to a considerable degree at the expense of transformation of the mixed socio-cultural regions' spaces. Population of the mixed socio-cultural regions themselves does not reveal any tendencies to expand their homeland(-s)
1.4. Ability to generate complicated internal structure of own socio-cultural space, as a response to demands from the outside (existence of an internal buffer zones)
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Has the ability to generate complicated internal structure of own space, mainly in order to protect and defend itself from other SCS-s and as a response to respective demands from the outside. This ability expresses itself in creating internal buffer zones along the borders with other SCS-s and external buffer zones. This is the unique quality and indication of SCS
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Has no ability to generate complicated internal structure of own space. It is homogeneous because of its insignificant size and absence of systematic work with own space as well as neighbouring territories during historically considerable intervals of time
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Has no ability to generate complicated internal structure of own space. The latter is extremely unstable and changeable in configuration and size, and depends on outer factors, in particular, state / conditions and conflicts of the neighbouring SCS-s
Mixed socio-cultural region
Has no ability to generate complicated internal structure of own space. The latter is extremely unstable and changeable in configuration and size, and depends on outer factors, in particular, state / conditions and conflicts of the neighbouring SCS-s
1.5. Ability to generate civilisations as a form of the own territory sporadic colonisation and assimilation, at the early stages of evolution
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Does have such ability. In the early periods of evolution, SCS-s may produce isolated civilisations. Later on, as SCS develops and evolves, it absorbs these civilisations into itself. Generating civilisations is a unique, but, none the less, not obligatory quality and indication of the SCS: it depends on a specific (regional) conditions of a historical process
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Unable to generate civilisations. In spite of their whatever great age and antiquity, SCD-s do not invent such forms of the territories' colonisation / assimilation
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Unable to generate civilisations
Mixed socio-cultural region
Unable to generate civilisations
1.6. Ability to independently generate one or several stable states within own socio-cultural space
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Possesses the ability to independently generate one or several stable states. Number of states depends on a period of the SCS evolution and may vary greatly (from one state occupying the whole SCS's territory, and up to several dozens)
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
This ability manifests itself depending on the SCD's type:
* Stable SCD with stable population and stable homeland, as a rule, generates one stable state;
* Sporadic SCD with homeland where its population may be absent for centuries, generates one state that however exists only from time to time
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Never independently generates stable states. Buffer states constantly change their boundaries and, in general, greatly vary in their sizes and configurations. Subject to (conflicting) interests and state / conditions of competing neighbouring SCS-s, they may be represented either by one or several states. Any buffer states are extremely unstable and always greatly depend on external factors (inter-relations of neighbouring SCS-s, in particular)
Mixed socio-cultural region
Never independently generates stable states, though areas inhabited by certain population - but never states - may be quite stable. May have both one or several states as well as no states at all: everything depends on positions of SCS-s participating in the region's assimilation, and the evolutionary age of the mixed region itself
1.7. Concentration of the considerable reserves of vitally important natural resources within own socio-cultural space
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Usually possesses considerable reserves of vitally important natural resources. Their structure differs significantly and, of course, depends on previous geological history of the SCS's territory, but in general available resources allow the SCS's economy to exist, in practice, autonomously
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
SCD's territory, as a rule, isn't considerable in itself, and most often reserves of vitally important natural resources are not contained there. In case of Northern SCD, their independent exploitation is in fact impossible due to primitive level of this SCD's general progress
Socio-cultural buffer zone
As a rule, there are no considerable reserves of vitally important natural resources within socio-cultural buffer zones. And if such resources are found, then unstable space of a buffer zone becomes an object for the next re-partition by competing neighbouring SCS-s, and buffer zone itself is again left without an important natural resource
Mixed socio-cultural region
Considerable reserves of vitally important natural resources may be found, but their exploitation is completely determined by various SCS-s participating in a mixed region's assimilation, and is an external business for the particular mixed region itself
1.8. Ability to generate ecological crises as a steps in assimilating own socio-cultural space
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Possesses the ability to generate ecological crises within local spaces during process of their assimilation, in order to move then further, to new territories with better natural and living conditions - in order to generate ecological crises there afresh. Such is, as a matter of fact, strategy of an initial socio-cultural assimilation of territories within utmost possible limits. After the boundaries of the socio-culturally assimilated spaces are defined, ecological crises lose their socio-cultural meaning and are not being generated any more
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
There is no such ability. SCD-s do not generate ecological crises as a step in a space assimilation, and are adapted to their natural environment with maximum correctness. The reason is not so much their highly-developed culture, but mainly their inability to expand own socio-culturally assimilated space
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Socio-culturally oriented ecological crises may take place in a buffer zones, but they are never aimed to expand their own socio-cultural space and / or assimilate alien territories, and are results of periodic fluctuations of a buffer zone's territory influenced by neighbouring SCS-s. The reason for such ecological crises may be, for instance, next in turn replacement of a dominating SCS. Similar ecological crises are generated not by buffer zone itself, but by one of neighbouring SCS-s within a buffer zone's space - as a sort of socio-cultural provocation aimed at achieving certain purposes of a certain SCS
Mixed socio-cultural region
Socio-culturally oriented ecological crises may take place in a mixed regions, but they are never aimed at expanding their own socio-cultural space and assimilating alien territories, and are results of periodic changes in the SCS-s' power arrangements in the region. The reason for such ecological crisis may be, for instance, next in turn replacement of a dominant in the region
2. SOCIO-CULTURAL TIME
2.1. Stable existence during historically considerable intervals of time
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Stable existence during historically significant intervals of time is a characteristic of SCS-s. Their life terms are amounted to 2500 years and more
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Stable existence during historically significant intervals of time is also a characteristic of SCD-s. Their life terms are amounted to 2500 years and more, too
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Usually formed as a result of neighbouring SCS-s interaction and competition. As a rule, duration of a buffer zone existence is lesser than that of any neighbouring SCS-s. Life term of the buffer zone as a specific socio-cultural formation may amount to 1000 years and more
Mixed socio-cultural region
Heavily depends on specific (historical) conditions of the region colonisation. As a developed formations may exist for a very long while without any changes. Life term of a completely formed mixed socio-cultural region may amount to 2000 years and more
2.2. Complete cycle of the own socio-cultural space formation which includes series of successive periods determined by the inner logic of the space evolution
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Possesses a complete cycle of the space socio-cultural assimilation. Researches reveal seven principal periods of socio-cultural evolution, and every period may consist of a few particular phases - subperiods and stages. This is the unique quality and indication of SCS
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Has no such cycle. As distinguished from SCS, SCD does not work regularly at transforming its socio-cultural space. Its homeland is static during historically considerable intervals. As a result of a favourable outside situation, SCD's controlled space may change drastically, but always for a very brief time and without any socio-cultural assimilation / transformation of the territory that falls under such temporary control
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Has no complete cycle. Everything depends on the outside situation that determines the buffer zone's behaviour. Buffer zone itself does not work regularly at expanding and transforming its socio-cultural space. As a result of a favourable outside situation, space controlled by particular buffer zone may change drastically, but always for a (historically) brief time and without any socio-cultural assimilation / transformation of the territory that falls under such temporary control
Mixed socio-cultural region
Has no complete cycle. Everything depends on the outside factors and situation that determine specific behaviour of the mixed socio-cultural region. It's unable to work regularly at expanding and transforming its socio-cultural space at all
3. CONTACTS WITH OUTER WORLD
3.1. Correlation of inner logic and outer factors. Ability to resist socio-cultural pressure from the outside
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Inner logic always prevails over outer factors that are only used in case of strict correspondence with the SCS's evolution internal order. Even successful external spatial expansions are always used for the own inner purposes. This is the unique quality and indication of SCS
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Does have some inner regularities which may sometimes prevail over external factors, but in many cases namely outer factors prove to play decisive role in determining ways of the SCD's evolution. Pressure from the outside does not usually lead to annihilation of the SCD's socio-cultural specifics, but its resistance to the outside influences isn't sufficient
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Internal logic does not play a significant role. Outer factors obviously dominate. Pressure from the neighbouring SCS-s' side takes place nearly permanently and determines ways of the buffer zone evolution. Resistance to the outside influences is extremely low
Mixed socio-cultural region
Internal logic does not play a significant role. Outer factors obviously prevail. Correlation of the various SCS-s' positions in the mixed socio-cultural region determines ways of its evolution. Resistance to the outside influences is extremely low
3.2. Ability to create socio-cultural enclaves to transform and assimilate alien territories
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Possesses the ability to create enclaves within alien regions to transform and assimilate them socio-culturally. This is the unique quality and indication of SCS
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Has no such ability. May establish temporary enclaves only as a way of own diffusion, but never - for socio-cultural transformation and assimilation of alien territories
Socio-cultural buffer zone
Has no such ability. May establish temporary enclaves only as a way of own diffusion, but never - for socio-cultural transformation and assimilation of alien territories. Territories of the socio-cultural buffer zones themselves are often being assimilated into other socio-cultural formations
Mixed socio-cultural region
Has no such ability. Population of the mixed regions may create temporary enclaves only as a way of own diffusion, but never - for socio-cultural transformation and assimilation of alien territories, often being themselves assimilated into other socio-cultural formations
3.3. Ability to create socio-cultural enclave-communities
Socio-cultural system (SCS)
Able to create stable enclave-communities within alien socio-cultural formations
Socio-cultural domain (SCD)
Able to create stable enclave-communities within alien socio-cultural formations