Concept of Ukrainian Identity in Terms of Sociocultural Transformations: Threats to National Security in the Humanitarian Sphere (Historiography of the Problem)

Abstract

The modern world demonstrates a growing interest in the problem of identity, its definition, formation, multiplicity, fragmentation, and multifacetedness. The article analyzes the research conducted by foreign and domestic psychologists, psychoanalysts, historians, sociologists, social anthropologists, philosophers, political scientists on the concept of “identity”, “Ukrainian identity”, “identity and national security”. It is noted that “in the sociohumanitarian sphere of scholarly knowledge, identity is a term as commonly used as it is vague”.An important form of social identity is ethnicity, or identification with a particular cultural tradition or community. In this context, researchers show a great interest to “national identity”, which involves understanding the specifics of their nation and demonstrates belonging to it. Monographs and scholarly articles that reveal the essence of “Ukrainian identity”, as well as the history of its formation during the period of Ukraine’s independence are analyzed. It is noted that “Ukrainian identity is not identical to either national or ethnic one and that it still needs to be ‘rebuilt’”.Changes in identity formation are associated with the process of globalization. However, the problem of national identity in the context of globalization has not been properly understood. It is determined that the lack of a common identity that would unite the majority of citizens does not only significantly slow down the progressive development of Ukrainian society but also creates or critically increases a number of threats to national security.Researchers note that “the Ukrainian identity and national security are the basic values of Ukrainian existence”, which are interconnected, interdependent, and form fundamental foundations for the existence of the Ukrainian society and state, on which Ukraine’s future is built.