The loci of Pluralism in a war-torn society

ABSTRACT

The war in Ukraine is violently destroying the social, political, cultural and economic fabrics of society and questions regarding the resilience of ethnicity and pluralism is becoming increasingly relevant. The existing research frameworks on pluralism consider pluralism as an integrative concept based on the different social practices and governance institutions for diversity and the realization of the maximum potential of all individuals in society (S. Wolff). In order to deeply understand the issue, we structured our research around next questions: how social practices of pluralism are affected by war? In which way do the country’s governmental institutions, facing military aggression, respond to pluralistic values? And, finally, how Ukrainian war-triggered migration transfer existing practices of pluralism but also adopted practices in new locations? Relying on the present scholarship of pluralism during the crises, adapting data of national surveys and incorporating the most recent data from the agencies, tracing the democratic development and pluralism, this research aims to trace national institutions and transnational networks of pluralistic practices during the war.

RESUME

La guerre en Ukraine détruit violemment les tissus sociaux, politiques, culturels et économiques de la société et les questions se rapportant à la résilience de l'ethnicité et du pluralisme deviennent de plus en plus pertinentes. Les cadres de recherche existants sur le pluralisme considèrent celui-ci comme un concept intégratif basé sur les différentes pratiques sociales et institutions de gouvernance pour la diversité et la réalisation du potentiel maximal de tous les individus dans la société (S. Wolff). Afin de mieux comprendre le problème, nous avons structuré notre recherche autour des questions suivantes : comment les pratiques sociales du pluralisme sont-elles affectées par la guerre ? De quelle manière les institutions gouvernementales du pays, face à une agression militaire, répondent-elles aux valeurs pluralistes ? Enfin, comment les migrations ukrainiennes déclenchées par la guerre ont-elles transféré les pratiques de pluralisme existantes, mais aussi adopté des pratiques dans de nouveaux lieux ? En s'appuyant sur les recherches actuelles sur le pluralisme, en adaptant les données des enquêtes nationales et en intégrant les données les plus récentes provenant des agences, cette recherche vise à mettre en lumière les institutions nationales et les réseaux transnationaux de pratiques pluralistes au cours de la guerre.

KEYWORDS:

• Pluralism
• Ukraine
• war
• “Software, Hardware and peopleware” of pluralism

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 The original report was prepared for international workshop “Global consequences of displacement from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: space, place and pluralism”. November 3–4, Ottawa, Canada.

2 See detailed analysis of this concept in Crowder’s “Value Pluralism”, King, “International Development, Sustainable Development Goals and Pluralism”, also Talisse “Value Pluralism”.

3 According to the survey, conducted by the Rating group, when asked whether they have received any assistance while abroad, 64% of respondents said they received assistance from the host country’s government agencies; 64% received help from the host country’s ordinary citizens who they did not know before; 56% received help from volunteer organizations; 39% received support from relatives, acquaintances and friends; 29% received support from the Ukrainian state; 18% received help from religious organizations, 18% received help from foreign foundations, institutions and businesses. Only 4% reported receiving no assistance at all (Rating 2022).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Milana Nikolko

Milana Nikolko, is an adjunct professor at the Institute of European, Russian and Eurasian Studies (EURUS), Carleton University (Canada). In 2005–2014 she was an associate Professor of Political Science (Docent) at V.Vernadsky Taurida National University (Ukraine), in 2008 was appointed as visiting professor at Political Science Department, Valdosta State University (USA). Her current field of interests includes research on Ukraine’s nation-building process, mediation of gray zone conflicts (case Ukraine), a study on Political narratives of victimization among ethnic groups, Migration and Diasporas groups on post-Soviet Space and research on Social Capital and Diaspora networks in comparative perspective.