Resilience of Social Habitus as an Adaptation Factor among the Ethnic Nobility in the Russian Empire (Late 19th—Early 20th Century): Evidence from the Biography of K. F. Baranovsky

DOI: 10.33876/2311-0546/2026-2/391-410

Authors

Keywords:

Belarusian nobility, Polish-Lithuanian gentry, habitus, adaptation, institutional transformations

Abstract

This article presents a study of the adaptation strategies employed by the Belarusian nobility during the turning point of socio-political transformations of the 20th century through the analysis of a single case study — reconstructing the biography of this class’ representative. The study was conducted using biographical, historical, and comparative methods based on formal biographical and narrative sources and personal documents. Methodologically, the causes and consequences of the chosen adaptation strategies are analyzed within the framework of the institutional approach and field theory. It is noted that the range of adaptive behavior options of the Belarussian noble class is linked to the habitus of this social group. The author reveals the social aspects of its history, value orientations and traditions embedded in the disposition of this group’s habitus. The revolutionary institutional structure of the 20th century led to frustration and social maladjustment among the Belarusian nobility. The behavioral strategies they implemented often resulted in a decline in quality of life, status, and economic position, and jeopardized their physical survival. One reason why irrational adaptation strategies were chosen by Belarusian nobles is the dialectical contradiction between the habitus dispositions internalized in other institutional conditions and the new institutional reality. In a situation of choice, this led to the dominance of tradition over rationality. The paper analyzes the habitus of the Belarusian nobility as a factor limiting the adaptive strategies of members of the class to the radically changed social environment. It also reveals the factors and conditions that contributed to the restoration of rational perception in the context of forced adaptation.

Author Biography

  • Tatiana Baranovskaia , the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences

    Baranovskaia, Tatiana V. — Doctor of Sociology, Scientific Secretary, Chief Researcher, Institute of Socio-Political Research, the Federal Center of Theoretical and Applied Sociology of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Moscow, Russian Federation). E-mail: btv20100404@mail.ru ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4528-0814

    For citation: Baranovskaia, T. V. 2026. Resilience of Social Habitus as an Adaptation Factor among the Ethnic Nobility in the Russian Empire (Late 19th – Early 20th Century): Evidence from the Biography of K. F. Baranovsky. Herald of Anthropology 2: 391-410.

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Published

11.06.2026

Issue

No. 2 (2026): Herald of Anthropology (Vestnik antropologii)

Section

Archival and Historical Legacy