Capturing ethnicity: the case of Ukraine

Abstract

Building on past survey-based studies of ethnic identity, we employ the case of Ukraine to demonstrate the importance of taking seriously the multidimensionality of ethnicity, even in a country that is regarded as deeply divided. Drawing on relational theory, we identify four dimensions of ethnicity that are each important in distinctive ways in Ukraine: individual language preference, language embeddedness, ethnolinguistic identity, and nationality. Using original survey data collected in May 2014, we show that the choice of one over the other can be highly consequential for the conclusions one draws about ethnicity's role in shaping attitudes (e.g., to NATO membership), actions (e.g., participation in the Euromaidan protests), and the anticipation of outgroups' behavior (e.g., expectations of a Russian invasion). Moreover, we call attention to the importance of including the right control variables for precisely interpreting any posited effects of ethnicity, making specific recommendations for future survey research on ethnic identity in Ukraine.

The Displaced as ‘Ordinary Citizens’: Exploring Variation in the Political Attitudes of the Displaced from Donbas

“…The effects of the war on Ukrainian politics and how Ukrainian citizens identify with the Ukrainian state have been profound. A growing number of studies are attempting to trace these effects on Ukrainian political elites, perceptions of the Ukrainian state and citizenship, and the status of the Ukrainian language (Kulyk 2016(Kulyk , 2018Onuch et al 2018;Onuch & Hale 2018;Sasse & Lackner 2019). There is, however, considerably less attention, both among policymakers and the scholarly community, on the individuals most directly affected by the war, that is, the residents in both parts of the currently divided Donbas region and the displaced (Sasse & Lackner 2018).…”

“…The importance of regional factors in Ukrainian domestic politics and as a factor shaping foreign policy preferences has long been recognised (Birch 2000;Kubicek 2000;Barrington 2002) but what exactly 'region' captures-ethnic, linguistic, historical, socio-economic, historical, policy cleavages, a mixture of all of these, or an additional distinctive cleavage-continues to be discussed by scholars working on contemporary Ukraine (Arel 1995(Arel , 2002(Arel , 2014O'Loughlin 2001;Shulman 2004;Barrington & Faranda 2009;Sasse 2010;Frye 2015;Onuch et al 2018;Onuch & Hale 2018). In particular, the distinctive regional identity of the Donetsk and Luhansk oblasti has been highlighted, with reference to the historical development and socioeconomic characteristics of this region, as well as its unified political outlook, at least until the Euromaidan (Osipian & Osipian 2006, 2012.…”

“…However, the effects of war on identities or the multi-directional identity transformations during and after war remain underexplored (Esteban & Schneider 2008;Sambanis 2002;Kalyvas 2008;Wood 2015). War puts the characteristics and salience of ethnic and other identities to the test and has the potential to both intensify or modify identities (Onuch et al 2018). These dynamics are still poorly understood, in part due to a lack of empirical data collected during war.…”

Change, Shift or Transformation: Analysis of Methodological Approaches to the National Identity Research

“…Эти аспекты выявляются с помощью опросов, которые широко используются для исследования «сдвигов» национальной идентичности. Представления об идентичности масс могут меняться, усиливая национальную пренадлежность по отношению к локальной (Steinhardt и др., 2018), гражданскую по отношению к этнической (Zhong, 2016), а также менять границы языковых идентично-стей (Arel, 2018;Onuch & Hale, 2018). Категории, фиксирующие отдельные аспекты идентичности, являются полезным инструментом для измерения национальной принадлежности при сравнении поколений, подверженных различным процессам и механизмам социализации (Thelen & Honeycutt, 2004;Steinhardt и др.…”

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“…Проблемами дослідження динаміки етнонаціональних ідентичностей населення України, зокрема після Євромайдану займається В. Кулик [6]. Тематиці етнонаціональних ідентичностей та їхнього впливу на політичні преференції громадян України присвячено роботи О. Онух та Г. Гейла [7], Дж. Робертсона та Дж.…”