Peculiarities of political alienation and political polarisation in Ukrainian society in the context of war
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Abstract
Relevance. The war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine has changed the essence and dynamics of all social processes, has caused a real threat to the national security of our country. In order to eliminate or minimize the impact of negative factors on national security, we must anticipate possible threat scenarios and develop countermeasure programs in each of the areas that may be under threat.
The purpose of the article is to highlight the peculiarities of political alienation and political polarisation in Ukrainian society.
Methods and methodology. The data was obtained through semi-structured interview analysis procedures. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. The results were analysed using interpretive phenomenological analysis.
Results. It was found that civic engagement is negatively correlated with political exclusion, education reduces political exclusion, especially among women, and belonging to or being affiliated with a political party reduces political exclusion. At the same time, nationality, social status, and region of residence do not have a significant impact on political exclusion. It has been found that the vast majority of respondents do not have a party identity as a type of social identity; low awareness of politics; unstable political views and de-ideologisation. It has been established that the peculiarity of political polarisation is the absence of ideological polarisation in Ukrainian society. Conflicts at the public level and within small-scale communications are caused by the polarisation of opinions related to the war, namely: attitudes towards citizens in the occupied territories, attitudes towards those who evade mobilisation, internally displaced persons, those who have left the country, attitudes towards general mobilisation and economic reservation.
Prospects for further research. Prospects for further research are determined by the focus on practical results – reducing the risks of political exclusion and the development of harmful polarisation in society through the development of civic education programmes and recommendations on methods and techniques of intervention to combat harmful polarisation.
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