POLITICAL CONCEPTUALISATION OF NATIONAL IDENTITY: ESSENCE AND MAIN IDEAS

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29038/2524-2679-2025-01-236-245

Keywords:

national identity, political science conceptualisation, social cohesion, political stability, collective memory, Ukraine

Abstract

The article is devoted to the political science analysis of the concept of na- tional identity in the context of globalisation processes and socio-political challenges. The author explores the multidimensional nature of national identity, which is shaped by cultural, historical, linguistic, territorial, and political factors that unite people into a national community. The article con- siders national identity as a key element of political stability, social cohe- sion, and the integration of citizens in multinational societies. Particular at- tention is given to the psychological aspect of national identity, its influence on the formation of national pride, and its interaction with the political views of citizens.

The author employs various methods to study this phenomenon, including a systemic approach, comparative analysis, etc. The article also draws on research by leading theorists in political science and sociology, who explore national identity through different criteria such as citizenship, language, re- ligion, and historical memory. The article also highlights the relevance of researching national identity in Ukraine in wartime. The conclusions underline the need to examine these processes to understand changes in national identity during wartime, as well as the formation of new forms and symbols of national belonging in contem- porary Ukrainian society. This research holds potential for further academic exploration, especially in light of Ukraine’s socio-political transformation in the post-war period.

References

1. Kozlovets, M. A. (2011). Natsionalna identychnist yak sotsiokulturnyi fenomen. Visnyk Zhytomyrskoho derzhavnoho universytetu, vyp. 60, р. 3–11. URL: http://www.irbis- nbuv.gov.ua/cgi-bin/irbis_nbuv/cgiirbis_64.exe?C21COM=2&I21DBN=UJRN&P21DBN

=UJRN&IMAGE_FILE_DOWNLOAD=1&Image_file_name=PDF/VZhDU_2011_60_3. pdf (In Ukrainian)

2. Sladkyi, D. (2008). Natsionalna identychnist yak faktor natsionalnoi ta mizhnarod- noi bezpeky. Politychnyi menedzhment, № 2, р. 110–119 (in Ukrainian).

3. Smit, E. (1994). Natsionalna identychnist. Kyiv, р. 24 (in Ukrainian)

4. Blank, T., Schmidt, P. (2003). National identity in a united Germany: nationalism or patriotism? An empirical test with representative data. Polit. Psychol., № 24, рр. 289–312 (in English).

5. Choi, S. Y., Abel, M., Siqi-Liu, A., Umanath, S. (2021). National identity can be comprised of more than pride: evidence from collective memories of Americans and Ger- mans. J. Appl. Res. Mem. Cogn., № 10, 117–130 (in English).

6. Gustavsson, G., Stendahl, L. (2020). National identity, a blessing or a curse? The divergent links from national attachment, pride, and chauvinism to social and political trust. Eur. Polit. Sci. Rev., № 12, рр. 449–468 (in English).

7. Ha, S., Jang, S.-J. (2015). National identity, national pride, and happiness: the case of South Korea. Soc. Indic. Res., № 121, рр. 471–482 (in English).

8. Helbling, M., Reeskens, T., Wright, M. (2016). The mobilisation of identities: a study on the relationship between elite rhetoric and public opinion on national identity in devel- oped democracies. Nations Natl., № 22, рр. 744–767 (in English).

9. Meitinger, K. (2018). What does the general national pride item measure? Insights from web probing. Int. J. Comp. Sociol., № 59, рр. 428–450 (in English).

10. Miller, D., Ali, S. (2014). Testing the national identity argument. Eur. Polit. Sci. Rev., № 6, рр. 237–259 (in English).

11. Smith, T., Kim, S. (2006). National pride in comparative perspective: 1995/96 and 2003/04. Int. J. Public Opin. Res., № 18, рр. 127–136 (in English).

12. Transue, J. (2007). Identity salience, identity acceptance, and racial policy attitudes: American national identity as a uniting force. Am. J. Polit. Sci., № 51, рр. 78–91 (in Eng- lish).

13. Vlachova, К. (2009). Identity of non-self-evident nation: Czech national identity after the break-up of Czechoslovakia and before accession to the European Union. Blanka. URL: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8129.2009.00379.x (in English).

Published

2025-04-30