Institute of Sociology
of the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology
of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Pozdnyakova M.E., Bryuno V.V. Sociocultural Profile of New Age and Esoteric Practitioners. In: Youth in Our City: Subcultures, Movements, Ideologies, and Practices (A Sociological Guidebook). 2nd revised and expanded edition ...



Pozdnyakova M.E., Bryuno V.V. Sociocultural Profile of New Age and Esoteric Practitioners. In: Youth in Our City: Subcultures, Movements, Ideologies, and Practices (A Sociological Guidebook). 2nd revised and expanded edition / Ed. by T.A. Khagurov and M.E. Pozdnyakova. Moscow: Russian Society of Sociologists; Krasnodar: Kuban State University, 2026. P. 188–209.
ISBN 978-5-87953-789-5
DOI нет
РИНЦ: https://elibrary.ru/item.asp?id=93496813

Posted on site: 03.11.26

 


Abstract

The contemporary field of New Age and esoteric practices constitutes a distinctive social environment in which alternative spirituality, subcultural belonging, the search for identity, professional self-realization, and commercial activity are closely intertwined. Who becomes a practitioner and promoter of alternative spirituality, what motivates individuals to move from personal interest to providing esoteric services, and how is their authority established? The analysis examines the sociodemographic and professional characteristics of New Age practitioners and followers, the main pathways into this field, motivations for participation, methods of monetization, and strategies of symbolic legitimation. Particular attention is paid to gender composition, informal employment, economic insecurity, and the blurred boundaries between subculture and the service market. Drawing on Russian and international research, the analysis seeks to develop a sociocultural profile of contemporary practitioners and promoters of alternative spirituality, identify the distinctive features of their social position, and explore how the spread of these practices is related to transformations in the world of work, professional identity, and strategies of social adaptation under conditions of uncertainty.

Content (in russ)


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