This article analyzes the theoretical and methodological foundations for the introduction to culture philosophy and cultural theory the "sociocultural transformation" concept. This concept is compared to the notion of "culture crisis", which is closer in meaning. It is shown that in contrast to the crisis of culture, sociocultural transformation is a transitional stage in the dynamics of culture, representing approval of the new dominant characteristics, which, in complex, are attributive features of the next phase in its development. The totality of these characteristics is defined as the cultural-dominant ines and allows to differentiate between macro-periods in the dynamics of culture. Such periods are defined as cultural system. This concept includes a specific period of specific characteristics that remain relevant to all its extent and therefore distinguishes one stage of cultural development from another (or one cultural system from another). Possible for further refined new theoretical and methodological approaches to the periodization of European culture are proposed. In particular, four stages of social and cultural transformations, that separate cultural systems, are suggested, as the example of European culture. They are late Hellenism as the stage of social and cultural transformation, reflecting the transition from the ancient cultures system to the medieval one, Renaissance - as a socio-cultural transformation from medieval to modern European culture system, the avant-garde - as a socio-cultural transformation of new European cultures to the modern, and postmodern system - as a socio-cultural transformation, reflecting the transition from the modern cultural system to the post-modern system.

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