A sociologist on three years of full-scale war

An interview with the Director of the Institute of Sociology of the NAS of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor Yevhen Golovakha has been published on the YouTube channel of the well-known journalist Ihor Yakovenko.

The interviewer began with the subject of possible elections in Ukraine. The professor briefly characterised the setting for such possible events, stressing that public attitudes incline towards the need for a political reset in the country. He clearly emphasised, however, the risks that may arise in the course of elections in a situation where the country is at war and the front is engaged in daily fighting.

Most of the “old” Ukrainian politicians, despite a degree of support, have high distrust ratings. Two candidates are realistically visible — Zaluzhnyi and Zelenskyi — although the course of subsequent events will make its own corrections.

On the likelihood of peace arriving this year, the scholar was highly restrained and cautious. What gave this discussion, and the theme of the rare-earth minerals agreement, its particular piquancy is that the interview took place on the eve of, but before the conclusion of, President Zelenskyi's visit to the United States and the scandal in the Oval Office of the White House. The interlocutors' views, assessments and expectations were therefore more optimistic than what actually happened as a result of the sharp exchange between the head of the Ukrainian state and his American hosts, which made it impossible to sign the framework agreement and to improve Ukrainian-American relations.

An interesting part of the conversation concerned political psychiatry and the danger of its wider introduction into social life in various countries, the USSR included. This led the conversation on to the problem of the electorate's shift to the right in many countries, which has materialised in election results in a number of them, including the United States and Germany.

The sociologist replied that in Ukraine the share of those who support politicians of the right, nationalists in particular, has grown to 17%, although national democrats are still supported by more, as are liberals. War sharpens binary oppositions in people's minds. In Ukraine we choose democracy and radical politicians do not have substantial support here, although the war leaves its mark. Simulacrum politicians do occasionally succeed, but reality can bring them down to earth.

The journalist thanked the scholar and expressed the hope that in future he would continue to check his own understanding against the views of the head of Ukrainian sociology.

The full material is here:

Watch the video on YouTube