Open Access“My Grandparents Are Separatists”: How Young Ukrainians Perceive Their National Community
Author(s) -
Lina Klymenko
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
east/west
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2292-7956
DOI - 10.21226/ewjus614
Subject(s) - ukrainian , nationalism , grandparent , politics , gender studies , sociology , focus (optics) , political science , focus group , anthropology , law , linguistics , philosophy , physics , optics
Based on focus group discussions with young people in Ukraine, this article analyzes how young Ukrainians conceptualize their national community. The understanding of nationalism in the study rests upon the concept of a discursive formation of a nation. In line with this concept, nationalism is viewed as a certain mode of discourse that reflects citizens’ interpretations of who constitutes a nation. The analysis of the focus group discussions reveals how young Ukrainians perceive the Ukrainian nation in terms of a community with a specific socio-political order, culture, and mentality.