METHODOLOGICAL BASES OF RESEARCH OF CHANGES IN THE CIVILIZATIONAL IDENTITY OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

Abstract

The slogan of Euromaidan "Ukraine is Europe" became a clear declaration made by citizens about its civilizational identity. However, it is too early to say that the civilizational identity of Ukraine has finally and irreversibly changed, because this issue has been the subject of debate for a long time. The author 's vision of the methodology of research of changes in the civilizational identity of Ukraine of the period of independence for further forecasting of tendencies in this direction, in particular in the sphere of international interaction is offered.

First, the article analyzes the research status of the topic and concludes that there is an insufficient number of Ukrainian studies of civilizational identity in the aspect of international relations. The theoretical basis of the study is considered, namely the key definitions (civilization and civilizational identity), the characteristics of civilizations and civilizational identity as working categories, as well as the possibility of studying changes in civilizational identity. Emphasis is placed on the fact that the purpose of this methodology is not to study the historical belonging to some civilization, but the influence of different kinds of civilizational rhetoric on civilizational identity and vice versa. The paper outlines the chronological boundaries, key historical events, factors and subjects that the author believes should be taken into account in further research on this issue. As a result, a set of general scientific and special methods is proposed and substantiated, which aim to track and analyze the dynamics of changes in the civilizational identity of Ukraine. The results of the study are valuable for further research in this area, in particular on the factors influencing the civilizational identity and the relationship of changes in the latter with the reforms in the country and its international prestige.