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BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE: HOMO- AND BISEXUAL MEN IN URBAN AGGLOMERATIONS OF DONETSK OBLAST AS A LOCAL PRE-MODERN COMMUNITY

stmm. 2022 (1): 124-143

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2022.01.124

MAKSYM KASIANCZUK, PhD, Strategic information adviser, ECOM — Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (142, Pärnu maantee, Tallinn, Estonia, 11317), Head of the NGO “Interregional Center for LGBT Researches Donbas-SocProject”

maxim.kasianczuk@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0701-3595

YEVHEN LESZCZYNSKI (1978–2012), Senior Lecturer, Makiyivka Economic and Humanitarian Institute (16 Ostrovski St., Makiyivka, Ukraine, 86151)

OLESIA TROFYMENKO, Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Social Expertise, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkoyvchna St., Kyiv, Ukraine, 01021)

olesia.trofymenko@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1442-2581

The article is devoted to the discussion of the ratio of the public and private, which characterizes the live of homosexual and bisexual men in the urban agglomerations of Donetsk region. In the research, the authors examined the boundaries of privacy, such as intrusion into privacy by family, neighbors, and the ability to exist in a safe environment. Donetsk region is characterized by significant distances between the major urban agglomerations, which in its turn leads to relative mutual isolation of local communities, that in its turn contributes to their weak involvement in the activity of the non-governmental associations of citizens (in particular, in the case of the studied community such associations play a paramount role in the access to public health services). The proposed study is based on the hypothesis of non-congruence of the norms of the represented by public organizations "open world" and "small society" of local communities. The concept of the "small society" originates in the concept of "incomplete modernism", i.e. characterized by poorly developed institutionalization, and social norms of the "small society" are congruent with the norms characteristic to mafia clans. The private in the study is treated as an area free from interference. On the other hand, the public sphere in the understanding of the modern era is one where there is a primacy of impersonal and written procedures over the personalized relationships of specific actors. The authors emphasize that if a prejudice against the backward social groups, in particular LGBT people, is a studied phenomenon, the separation of the private and public life of the representatives of local communities, as well as the lack of regulatory mechanisms are much less studied. An important result of the study is that a weak separation of the public and private in the life of a person from the local community shows that such a community can be described as a premodern one. At the same time, the transparency of the boundaries between the public and private forces a person to look for the ways to hide from the excessive attention of others, and often this way is to live on the margins, i.e. among those whom society prefers not to notice.

The study was realized in 2009–2010. And unfortunately, these areas are now inaccessible to sociologists. However, the obtained results, being comparable with the facts from the literature, including those obtained from the material of other territories and communities, may indicate the prevalence of such phenomena and, therefore, become the basis for further research.

Keywords: MSM, lifestyle, personal boundaries, unfinished modernization, urban space, Donetsk region.

References

HIV infection in Ukraine: newsletter (2015). [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Ukrainian Center for Control of Socially Dangerous Diseases of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. 112 p. [=ВІЛ-інфекція 2015]

Kasianchuk, M., Leshchinsky, E., Herman, O. (2012). Analysis of the development of MSM redirection system in the Donetsk region. 36 p. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv. [=Касянчук, Лещинський, Герман 2012]

Kasianchuk, M.G., Leshchynskyi, Y.B. (2008). Analysis of the identities of men who have sex with men in Ukrainian society. Ukrainian society, 26 (3), 17–29.

Bolshov E., Kasianchuk M., Trofymenko L. (2014). Monitoring of behavior and HIV prevalence among men having sex with men as the component of HIV second generation surveillance: Analytical Report on 2013 Biobehavioral Survey. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv. [=Большов, Касянчук, Трофименко 2014]

Arendt, H. (2000). Vita activa, or About active life. [In Russian]. Moscow. [=Арендт 2000]

Volkovynska, V. (2014). Public and private in the phenomenological search for the meaning of society. [In Ukrainian]. Collection of scientific works "Gileya: Scientific Bulletin", 88, 182–185. [=Волковинська 2014]

Urban, O. (2017). Interaction of public and private spheres in the Ukrainian city. [In Ukrainian]. Culturology, 37 (50), 39–45. [=Урбан 2017]

Kolinko, M. (2015). Openness of public space and comfort of private. [In Ukrainian]. Bulletin of Donetsk National University. Series B “Humanities”, 1–2, 387–393. [=Колінько 2015]

Kon, I. (2010). Strawberry on a birch: Sexual culture in Russia. [In Russian]. Moscow. [=Кон 2010]

Shevchuk D. (2011). Public and private on the horizon of human social existence. [In Ukrainian]. Bulletin of the National Aviation Institute: Philosophy. Culturology, 2 (19), 76–80. [= Шевчук 2011]

Zeidel, M. (2014). Public and private in the post-Soviet space: the problem of demarcation. [In Ukrainian]. Facets: Political Science, 2 (106), 79–82. [=Зайдель 2014]

Hodus O. (2014). From public to private: current modalities of socio-cultural life. [In Russian]. New Paradigm, 121, 84–94. [In Russian]. [=Ходус 2014]

Volkovynska В. (2015). Public and private: the need for borders or a crisis of interpretation. [In Ukrainian]. Young Scientist, 2 (17), 46–50. [=Волковинська, В.О. (2015]

Oleynik, A. (2001). Prison subculture in Russia: from everyday life to state power. [In Russian]. Moscow. [=Олейник 2001]

Petrou, P., Lemke, R. (2018). Victimisation and life satisfaction of gay and bisexual individuals in 44 European countries: the moderating role of country-level and person-level attitudes towards homosexuality. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 20 (6), 640–657.

Dobryshevskaya, Т. (2003). Cities of Donetsk region: Directory. [In Russian]. Donetsk: Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry. [=Дробышевская 2003]

Kasianchuk, M., Leshchinsky, E. (2005). Reducing the risk of HIV infection among homosexually active men in Ukraine with a focus on men having sex with men in Donetsk region. Donetsk, Makiivka, Mariupol and Horlovka. Project report. [In Russian]. In: Health of the Nation NGO, prepared for the FPH Charitable Foundation (P. 96–132). Kyiv. [=Касянчук, Лещинский 2005]

Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso. 224 p.

Pershay A., Ivanova, E. (Eds.) (2013). Women in politics: new approaches to politics. Feminist educational almanac. Issue. 3. Public: privatization of private. [In Russian]. Prague. [=Першай, Иванова 2013]

Received 13.01.2022

BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE: HOMO- AND BISEXUAL MEN IN URBAN AGGLOMERATIONS OF DONETSK OBLAST AS A LOCAL PRE-MODERN COMMUNITY

stmm. 2022 (1): 124-143

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2022.01.124

MAKSYM KASIANCZUK, PhD, Strategic information adviser, ECOM — Eurasian Coalition on Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (142, Pärnu maantee, Tallinn, Estonia, 11317), Head of the NGO “Interregional Center for LGBT Researches Donbas-SocProject”

maxim.kasianczuk@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0701-3595

YEVHEN LESZCZYNSKI (1978–2012), Senior Lecturer, Makiyivka Economic and Humanitarian Institute (16 Ostrovski St., Makiyivka, Ukraine, 86151)

OLESIA TROFYMENKO, Junior Research Fellow at the Department of Social Expertise, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkoyvchna St., Kyiv, Ukraine, 01021)

olesia.trofymenko@gmail.com

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1442-2581

The article is devoted to the discussion of the ratio of the public and private, which characterizes the live of homosexual and bisexual men in the urban agglomerations of Donetsk region. In the research, the authors examined the boundaries of privacy, such as intrusion into privacy by family, neighbors, and the ability to exist in a safe environment. Donetsk region is characterized by significant distances between the major urban agglomerations, which in its turn leads to relative mutual isolation of local communities, that in its turn contributes to their weak involvement in the activity of the non-governmental associations of citizens (in particular, in the case of the studied community such associations play a paramount role in the access to public health services). The proposed study is based on the hypothesis of non-congruence of the norms of the represented by public organizations "open world" and "small society" of local communities. The concept of the "small society" originates in the concept of "incomplete modernism", i.e. characterized by poorly developed institutionalization, and social norms of the "small society" are congruent with the norms characteristic to mafia clans. The private in the study is treated as an area free from interference. On the other hand, the public sphere in the understanding of the modern era is one where there is a primacy of impersonal and written procedures over the personalized relationships of specific actors. The authors emphasize that if a prejudice against the backward social groups, in particular LGBT people, is a studied phenomenon, the separation of the private and public life of the representatives of local communities, as well as the lack of regulatory mechanisms are much less studied. An important result of the study is that a weak separation of the public and private in the life of a person from the local community shows that such a community can be described as a premodern one. At the same time, the transparency of the boundaries between the public and private forces a person to look for the ways to hide from the excessive attention of others, and often this way is to live on the margins, i.e. among those whom society prefers not to notice.

The study was realized in 2009–2010. And unfortunately, these areas are now inaccessible to sociologists. However, the obtained results, being comparable with the facts from the literature, including those obtained from the material of other territories and communities, may indicate the prevalence of such phenomena and, therefore, become the basis for further research.

Keywords: MSM, lifestyle, personal boundaries, unfinished modernization, urban space, Donetsk region.

References

HIV infection in Ukraine: newsletter (2015). [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Ukrainian Center for Control of Socially Dangerous Diseases of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine. 112 p. [=ВІЛ-інфекція 2015]

Kasianchuk, M., Leshchinsky, E., Herman, O. (2012). Analysis of the development of MSM redirection system in the Donetsk region. 36 p. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv. [=Касянчук, Лещинський, Герман 2012]

Kasianchuk, M.G., Leshchynskyi, Y.B. (2008). Analysis of the identities of men who have sex with men in Ukrainian society. Ukrainian society, 26 (3), 17–29.

Bolshov E., Kasianchuk M., Trofymenko L. (2014). Monitoring of behavior and HIV prevalence among men having sex with men as the component of HIV second generation surveillance: Analytical Report on 2013 Biobehavioral Survey. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv. [=Большов, Касянчук, Трофименко 2014]

Arendt, H. (2000). Vita activa, or About active life. [In Russian]. Moscow. [=Арендт 2000]

Volkovynska, V. (2014). Public and private in the phenomenological search for the meaning of society. [In Ukrainian]. Collection of scientific works "Gileya: Scientific Bulletin", 88, 182–185. [=Волковинська 2014]

Urban, O. (2017). Interaction of public and private spheres in the Ukrainian city. [In Ukrainian]. Culturology, 37 (50), 39–45. [=Урбан 2017]

Kolinko, M. (2015). Openness of public space and comfort of private. [In Ukrainian]. Bulletin of Donetsk National University. Series B “Humanities”, 1–2, 387–393. [=Колінько 2015]

Kon, I. (2010). Strawberry on a birch: Sexual culture in Russia. [In Russian]. Moscow. [=Кон 2010]

Shevchuk D. (2011). Public and private on the horizon of human social existence. [In Ukrainian]. Bulletin of the National Aviation Institute: Philosophy. Culturology, 2 (19), 76–80. [= Шевчук 2011]

Zeidel, M. (2014). Public and private in the post-Soviet space: the problem of demarcation. [In Ukrainian]. Facets: Political Science, 2 (106), 79–82. [=Зайдель 2014]

Hodus O. (2014). From public to private: current modalities of socio-cultural life. [In Russian]. New Paradigm, 121, 84–94. [In Russian]. [=Ходус 2014]

Volkovynska В. (2015). Public and private: the need for borders or a crisis of interpretation. [In Ukrainian]. Young Scientist, 2 (17), 46–50. [=Волковинська, В.О. (2015]

Oleynik, A. (2001). Prison subculture in Russia: from everyday life to state power. [In Russian]. Moscow. [=Олейник 2001]

Petrou, P., Lemke, R. (2018). Victimisation and life satisfaction of gay and bisexual individuals in 44 European countries: the moderating role of country-level and person-level attitudes towards homosexuality. Culture, Health & Sexuality, 20 (6), 640–657.

Dobryshevskaya, Т. (2003). Cities of Donetsk region: Directory. [In Russian]. Donetsk: Donetsk Chamber of Commerce and Industry. [=Дробышевская 2003]

Kasianchuk, M., Leshchinsky, E. (2005). Reducing the risk of HIV infection among homosexually active men in Ukraine with a focus on men having sex with men in Donetsk region. Donetsk, Makiivka, Mariupol and Horlovka. Project report. [In Russian]. In: Health of the Nation NGO, prepared for the FPH Charitable Foundation (P. 96–132). Kyiv. [=Касянчук, Лещинский 2005]

Anderson, B. (1991). Imagined communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism. London: Verso. 224 p.

Pershay A., Ivanova, E. (Eds.) (2013). Women in politics: new approaches to politics. Feminist educational almanac. Issue. 3. Public: privatization of private. [In Russian]. Prague. [=Першай, Иванова 2013]

Received 13.01.2022

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