ISSN 2520-6265 (print)

ISSN 2520-6273 (online)


REGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN THE POLITICAL IDENTIFICATION OF STUDENTS


Author:
I. V. Zhadan, PhD (Candidate of Psychological Sciences),
Senior Researcher, Chief Researcher at the Laboratory for Psychology of Youth Political Behavior,
Institute of Social and Political Psychology of NAES of Ukraine
ORCID: 0000-0001-5274-574X
E-mail: Iryna_zhadan@ukr.net

DOI: https://doi.org/10.17721/upj.2023.2(20).3

Article Information
Issue: 2(20) 2023, pages: 40-51
Language: Ukrainian
Received: 21.09.2023
1 st Revision: 25.09.2023
Accepted: 28.09.2023

Abstract


The article highlights the results of empirically studied regional differences in the political identification of students with an objective of identifying probable problems and resources for re-adaptation and consolidation of the youth community in the post-war period. Regional political identity was considered in four realms: as a process, as a result of identification, as a mechanism of interactions and as a factor of political activity. Indicators of the regional political identity of youth were determined: political autonomy/dependence; inclusiveness/exclusivity; nominality/reality; value-meaning basis of identification; political competence; political preferences. The data obtained form the psychosemantic study on regional specifics of students' political identification were analysed. The comparative analysis was carried out with Student's t-test. Data obtained from the sample as a whole were compared with regional arrays, after which the latter were compared among themselves. The widest differences were found between the all-Ukrainian array of data and the array of the central region. In particular, the youth form the central region were significantly less likely to identify themselves with their regional community and considered regional identity more important to them; they were more critical as for regional political elites; they were not ready most often to give up rights and freedoms for the sake of order and stability, as well as and the policy of expanding free zones in all spheres of life for the sake of established traditions and continuity. At the same time, the array of the western region differed from the data for the country as a whole in only one parameter: students from the western region more often believed that the values and motives for participation in politics of people from their region were significantly different than those in the rest of the regions. The parameters of young people's political identification differed the least in such pairs of regions: centre-south, east-north and south-west. The majority of reliable differences were found between the data from the central vs eastern and eastern vs western regions. Based on the analysis results, preliminary conclusions were made regarding the prospects of re-adaptation and post-war consolidation of youth from different regions.

Key words:
regional differences, Ukrainian youth, political identity, indicators, comparative analysis.

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