Socio-political activism: transformational challenges in the context of war
stmm. 2024 (2): 5-24
DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2024.02.005
Full text: https://stmm.in.ua/archive/ukr/2024-2/3.pdf
LARYSA FOSTER, Candidate of Sciences in Sociology, Associate Professor, Department of Social Structures and Social Relations, Faculty of Sociology,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (60, Volodymyrska St., Kyiv, 01033)
larysafoster@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8154-985X
YULIIA HETMAN, Postgraduate Student, Department of Social and Political Processes, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkovychna St., Kyiv, 01021)
yuliiahetman2021@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8300-520X
The development of civil society is closely linked to the historical process of the formation of the Ukrainian nation. After the outbreak of full-scale war, civil society quickly adapted and at different levels solved social, economic, humanitarian, political, and other problems faced by the country. We hypothesize that martial law has a significant impact on the structure and functions of civil society, and on the activation of public and political involvement of Ukrainians.
So, the article initially discusses theoretical aspects of the study of civil society in general and social practices of online activism and volunteerism during the war. It also summarizes the results of a pilot study of the socio-political activity of students of Kyiv universities.
Studies of sociological indicators of civil society, sociological portraits of members of public organizations, online civic activity, practices of self-organization, various types of voluntary activities, and political participation of Ukrainians have always been and are relevant. Since new discourses, forms, and ways of realizing political participation and public initiative are only growing every year, new research challenges should be taken up, while using well-working concepts.
Therefore, we carried out a pilot study of the socio-political activity of student youth by V. Stepanenko's 3D-dimensional scheme of civil society and made the following conclusions. On the wave of the national liberation struggle against RF, the vector of citizenship began to develop rapidly, there was a rethinking of the meaning of the state, the nation, and one's own identity, which had a certain impact on the worldview of young people and the general trends of activity. In general, the vector of activity among students is gradually developing: the palette of forms of activity and the frequency of their reproduction (as noted by students themselves) have significantly expanded. However, these activities are predominantly individualized and not systematic. Therefore, in general, the activity remains at a low level, partly due to the impossibility of developing the vector of openness during martial law.
Keywords: civil society, socio-political activity online, volunteering
References
Bielska, T. (2015). Institutional dimension of global civil society. [In Ukrainian].
Charity in times of war - a quantitative study. (2022). Retrieved from: https://zagoriy.foundation/publications/blagodijnist-u-chasi-vijni-kilkisne-doslidzhennya/
Citizens' assessment of the situation in the country, trust in social institutions, political and ideological orientations of Ukrainian citizens in the conditions of Russian aggression. (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/otsinka-gromadianamy-sytuatsii-v-kraini-dovira-do-sotsialnykh-instytutiv-politykoideologichni-oriientatsii-gromadian-ukrainy-v-umovakh-rosiiskoi -agresii-veresen-zhovten-2022
Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/csosi-africa-2022-report.pdf
Dembitskyi, S. (2023). Ukrainian youth in the focus of sociology. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GSj9D7ee0XlJwN8cgRtmOrm9_oG57SF-/view
Eighth nationwide survey: Ukraine in conditions of war (April 6, 2022). (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/vosmoy_obschenacionalnyy_opros_ukraina_v_usloviyah_voyny_6_aprelya_2022.html
Golovakha, Ye. (2022). If we do not surrender, we will come out of this war as a fully integrated European country. Retrieved from: https://novynarnia.com/2022/03/30/yegolovaha/ In: Efficiency of public administration: coll. of sc. works, Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration, National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine (pp. 71-81). Lviv.
Keane, J. (2003). Global civil society? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511615023
Krasnyakova, A. (2019). Conventional forms of Internet participation as a resource for the development of civic competence of young people. [In Ukrainian]. Theory and Practice of Modern Psychology, 2(6), 188-192. https://doi.org/10.32840/2663-6026.2019.6-2.33
Kutsenko, О. (2023). Power of Freedom and Activism: Ukrainian Alternative to Militant Authoritarianism. Retrieved from: https://www.inapp.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/Non-organizzati/XX_ISA_World_Congress_Program_Book.pdf
National Democratic Institute. (2023). Opportunities and Challenges Facing Ukraine's Democratic Transition. Retrieved from: https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/January_2023_Ukraine_wartime_survey_ENG.pdf
Potapenko, V. (2022). On the state of development of civil society in Ukraine in 2021 and its changes at the beginning of 2022. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: NISD.
Public opinion survey to assess changes in citizens' awareness of public organizations and their activities. (2018). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://dif.org.ua/uploads/pdf/882931762645d5906abe089.49789374.pdf
Putnam, R. (2001). The Making of Democracy. Traditions of creation of public activism in modern Italy. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Osnovy.
Pyrozhkov, I. (2022). National resilience of Ukraine: a strategy for responding to challenges and anticipating hybrid threats: a national report. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: I.F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnonational Studies, NAS of Ukraine.
Razumkov Centre. (2022). Political and ideological orientations of Ukrainian citizens in the conditions of Russian aggression. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: ttps://razumkov.org.ua/images/journal/NSD189-190_2022_ukr.pdf
Razumkov Centre. (2024). Citizens' assessment of the situation in the country. Trust in social institutes, politicians, officials and public figures. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/otsinka-gromadianamy-sytuatsii-v-kraini-ta-dii-vlady-dovira-do-sotsialnykh-instytutiv-politykiv-posadovtsiv-ta-gromadskykh-diiachiv-sichen-2024r
Reznik, О. (2019), Sociological dimensions of civil society in Ukraine. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.
Reznik, O. (2020). Subjects of civic practices as the basis of democratic transit of Ukraine. Sociology: theory, methods, marketing, 1, 5-22. https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2020.01.005
Reznik, O. (2023) Civic identity and territorial cohesion as social indicators of national stability. [In Ukrainian]. National resilience of Ukraine: a strategy for responding to challenges and anticipating hybrid threats: a national report. Kyiv: I.F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnonational Studies, NAS of Ukraine.
Stepanenko, V. (2015). Civil society: discourses and practices. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.
The first days of full-scale war in Ukraine: thoughts, experiences, actions. (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://cedos.org.ua/researches/pershi-dni-povnomasshtabnoyi-vijny-v-ukrayini-dumky-perezhyvannya-diyi-analitychna-zapyska-z-pershymy-rezultatamy-doslidzhennya/
Received 15.12.2023
Socio-political activism: transformational challenges in the context of war
stmm. 2024 (2): 5-24
DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2024.02.005
Full text: https://stmm.in.ua/archive/ukr/2024-2/3.pdf
LARYSA FOSTER, Candidate of Sciences in Sociology, Associate Professor, Department of Social Structures and Social Relations, Faculty of Sociology,Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv (60, Volodymyrska St., Kyiv, 01033)
larysafoster@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8154-985X
YULIIA HETMAN, Postgraduate Student, Department of Social and Political Processes, Institute of Sociology, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (12, Shovkovychna St., Kyiv, 01021)
yuliiahetman2021@gmail.com
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8300-520X
The development of civil society is closely linked to the historical process of the formation of the Ukrainian nation. After the outbreak of full-scale war, civil society quickly adapted and at different levels solved social, economic, humanitarian, political, and other problems faced by the country. We hypothesize that martial law has a significant impact on the structure and functions of civil society, and on the activation of public and political involvement of Ukrainians.
So, the article initially discusses theoretical aspects of the study of civil society in general and social practices of online activism and volunteerism during the war. It also summarizes the results of a pilot study of the socio-political activity of students of Kyiv universities.
Studies of sociological indicators of civil society, sociological portraits of members of public organizations, online civic activity, practices of self-organization, various types of voluntary activities, and political participation of Ukrainians have always been and are relevant. Since new discourses, forms, and ways of realizing political participation and public initiative are only growing every year, new research challenges should be taken up, while using well-working concepts.
Therefore, we carried out a pilot study of the socio-political activity of student youth by V. Stepanenko's 3D-dimensional scheme of civil society and made the following conclusions. On the wave of the national liberation struggle against RF, the vector of citizenship began to develop rapidly, there was a rethinking of the meaning of the state, the nation, and one's own identity, which had a certain impact on the worldview of young people and the general trends of activity. In general, the vector of activity among students is gradually developing: the palette of forms of activity and the frequency of their reproduction (as noted by students themselves) have significantly expanded. However, these activities are predominantly individualized and not systematic. Therefore, in general, the activity remains at a low level, partly due to the impossibility of developing the vector of openness during martial law.
Keywords: civil society, socio-political activity online, volunteering
References
Bielska, T. (2015). Institutional dimension of global civil society. [In Ukrainian].
Charity in times of war - a quantitative study. (2022). Retrieved from: https://zagoriy.foundation/publications/blagodijnist-u-chasi-vijni-kilkisne-doslidzhennya/
Citizens' assessment of the situation in the country, trust in social institutions, political and ideological orientations of Ukrainian citizens in the conditions of Russian aggression. (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/otsinka-gromadianamy-sytuatsii-v-kraini-dovira-do-sotsialnykh-instytutiv-politykoideologichni-oriientatsii-gromadian-ukrainy-v-umovakh-rosiiskoi -agresii-veresen-zhovten-2022
Civil Society Organization Sustainability Index (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://www.fhi360.org/sites/default/files/media/documents/csosi-africa-2022-report.pdf
Dembitskyi, S. (2023). Ukrainian youth in the focus of sociology. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine. Retrieved from: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GSj9D7ee0XlJwN8cgRtmOrm9_oG57SF-/view
Eighth nationwide survey: Ukraine in conditions of war (April 6, 2022). (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://ratinggroup.ua/research/ukraine/vosmoy_obschenacionalnyy_opros_ukraina_v_usloviyah_voyny_6_aprelya_2022.html
Golovakha, Ye. (2022). If we do not surrender, we will come out of this war as a fully integrated European country. Retrieved from: https://novynarnia.com/2022/03/30/yegolovaha/ In: Efficiency of public administration: coll. of sc. works, Lviv Regional Institute of Public Administration, National Academy of Public Administration under the President of Ukraine (pp. 71-81). Lviv.
Keane, J. (2003). Global civil society? Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511615023
Krasnyakova, A. (2019). Conventional forms of Internet participation as a resource for the development of civic competence of young people. [In Ukrainian]. Theory and Practice of Modern Psychology, 2(6), 188-192. https://doi.org/10.32840/2663-6026.2019.6-2.33
Kutsenko, О. (2023). Power of Freedom and Activism: Ukrainian Alternative to Militant Authoritarianism. Retrieved from: https://www.inapp.gov.it/wp-content/uploads/Non-organizzati/XX_ISA_World_Congress_Program_Book.pdf
National Democratic Institute. (2023). Opportunities and Challenges Facing Ukraine's Democratic Transition. Retrieved from: https://www.ndi.org/sites/default/files/January_2023_Ukraine_wartime_survey_ENG.pdf
Potapenko, V. (2022). On the state of development of civil society in Ukraine in 2021 and its changes at the beginning of 2022. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: NISD.
Public opinion survey to assess changes in citizens' awareness of public organizations and their activities. (2018). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://dif.org.ua/uploads/pdf/882931762645d5906abe089.49789374.pdf
Putnam, R. (2001). The Making of Democracy. Traditions of creation of public activism in modern Italy. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Osnovy.
Pyrozhkov, I. (2022). National resilience of Ukraine: a strategy for responding to challenges and anticipating hybrid threats: a national report. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: I.F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnonational Studies, NAS of Ukraine.
Razumkov Centre. (2022). Political and ideological orientations of Ukrainian citizens in the conditions of Russian aggression. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: ttps://razumkov.org.ua/images/journal/NSD189-190_2022_ukr.pdf
Razumkov Centre. (2024). Citizens' assessment of the situation in the country. Trust in social institutes, politicians, officials and public figures. [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://razumkov.org.ua/napriamky/sotsiologichni-doslidzhennia/otsinka-gromadianamy-sytuatsii-v-kraini-ta-dii-vlady-dovira-do-sotsialnykh-instytutiv-politykiv-posadovtsiv-ta-gromadskykh-diiachiv-sichen-2024r
Reznik, О. (2019), Sociological dimensions of civil society in Ukraine. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.
Reznik, O. (2020). Subjects of civic practices as the basis of democratic transit of Ukraine. Sociology: theory, methods, marketing, 1, 5-22. https://doi.org/10.15407/sociology2020.01.005
Reznik, O. (2023) Civic identity and territorial cohesion as social indicators of national stability. [In Ukrainian]. National resilience of Ukraine: a strategy for responding to challenges and anticipating hybrid threats: a national report. Kyiv: I.F. Kuras Institute of Political and Ethnonational Studies, NAS of Ukraine.
Stepanenko, V. (2015). Civil society: discourses and practices. [In Ukrainian]. Kyiv: Institute of Sociology, NAS of Ukraine.
The first days of full-scale war in Ukraine: thoughts, experiences, actions. (2022). [In Ukrainian]. Retrieved from: https://cedos.org.ua/researches/pershi-dni-povnomasshtabnoyi-vijny-v-ukrayini-dumky-perezhyvannya-diyi-analitychna-zapyska-z-pershymy-rezultatamy-doslidzhennya/
Received 15.12.2023