The Razumkov Centre has been studying the identity of Ukrainian citizens since 2005 after the Orange revolution has taken place. This study helps to analyze the main changes that happened in different aspects of the identity of Ukrainian citizens from 2005 till 2016. It puts special attention on the influence of the latest events, namely the Revolution of Dignity (Euromaidan) and Russian aggression against Ukraine, on the Ukrainian society. Today we present you the analytical materials of the 1st and 2nd stages of the project “Building a Common Identity of Ukrainian Citizens in the New Environment: Special Aspects, Prospects and Changes” which is conducted by Razumkov Centre under the support of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation Office in Ukraine, Matra Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands, SIDA Programme of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden.
The analytical materials of the 1st stage are based on the national social polls conducted in December 2015 on the whole territory of Ukraine with the exception of Crimea and the occupied territories of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. They provide information on different aspects of citizens identity (“identities”) and their attitude to the major problems as well as describe aspects of identity of citizens from different regions and social groups.
Meanwhile, the analytical materials of the 2nd stage are based on the national social polls conducted in November 2016, analysis of the results of 17 focus groups conducted in September-October 2016 and informational materials that provide information about the main approaches and directions of forming/preserving the national identity in the Baltic states, Poland, and Romania. These analytical and informational materials outline a more detailed picture of how the citizens understand specific aspects of identity (particularly civil and socio-cultural identity); assess the intensity and nature of the impact which socio-political and international trends have on various identity aspects of citizens, primarily the civil aspect; study how citizens in different regions of Ukraine perceive one another, explore the specifics of this perception and the existing beliefs and stereotypes; identify the specifics of the viewpoints that residents in different regions have on factors contributing to the division or consolidation of society, and assess their potential impact; learn about the attitudes of citizens to possible political approaches in “sensitive” areas, particularly those concerning language, cultural and national policies, and their impact on national unity; analyze the experience of specific post-Soviet and post-socialist countries of Europe in the matters of shaping and preserving national identity.
The analytical materials of the 3rd stage are dealing with the system of common values of Ukrainians, their peculiarities and regional differences.
The analytical materials of the 2nd stage: http://razumkov.org.ua/uploads/journal/eng/NSD165-166_2016_eng.pdf
The analytical materials of the 3rd stage: http://razumkov.org.ua/uploads/journal/eng/NSD169-170_2017_eng.pdf