ABSTRACT
The main objective of the paper is to show the results of some changes in Mari ethnic identity represented in the traditional system of values. They were reconstructed from Mari proverbs and sayings (10 690) and compared with the data of sociological surveys which were carried out for five years among the Mari young people, students of the Mari State University whose mother tongue is Mari. The aim of the research dictates the combination of investigation techniques used in linguistics, systems theory and mathematical statistics - that is semantic and factor types of analysis within a framework of a systemic approach. The most important stage includes the process of discerning values called ‘factors’ in the paroemias with the help of componential and contextual types of analysis. Statistics helps to organize the revealed values according to their frequency. Special attention is paid to ethics. It is just in this sphere one can see the trends in the dynamics of the axiological paradigm.
