Warsaw interviews a Ukrainian sociologist

Mariia Hurska, editor-in-chief of the online magazine Sestry (Warsaw), has published an interview with the Director of the Institute of Sociology of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine, Doctor of Philosophical Sciences, Professor Yevhen Golovakha under the title “Humour saves Ukrainians from despair”. Humour, though, was not the main thing discussed.

The magazine was interested first of all in the following: how is the phenomenal resilience of Ukrainians in a war with a more numerous and better-armed enemy to be explained? Why might the number of Ukrainians who return home be greater than among many other peoples with similar experience? How will Ukrainians in Ukraine treat their compatriots who come back to the country from abroad?

The Corresponding Member of the NAS of Ukraine described how Ukrainians maintain their resilience and positive outlook under war conditions. Despite constant threats, losses and attacks, Ukrainians continue to believe in victory. Sociological surveys, including those conducted by the Institute, show that hope and optimism remain in first place among the dominant emotions. Golovakha believes this testifies to a high level of emotional resilience and a desire to fight for freedom.

He connects Ukrainians' resilience with the history of their self-organisation: amid frequent external interventions, Ukrainians grew used to managing their own lives and to withstanding dangers. This allows society to adapt and mobilise without needing a strong government, as is characteristic of Russia. Under war conditions Ukrainians actively help one another, volunteer and donate, whether at home or abroad.

The professor, who besides serious professional publications also writes humorous and ironic ones, also noted the role of humour as a means of psychological defence. In moments of despair and stress, humour helps people restore their emotional balance. This trait has its roots in Cossack times, when mockery and humour became a form of moral resistance to the enemy.

The sociologist also pointed to the increased role of women in society. Historically, women had great influence in Ukrainian culture, especially in families where the men were often away at war. The war has only strengthened this role: women have begun to take a more active part in traditionally male spheres while also raising children and carrying out civic duties.

In Golovakha's view, after the war the structure of elites and leaders in Ukraine will change. Surveys show that the key figures in society have become servicemen and entrepreneurs rather than traditional politicians. Social networks help to integrate Ukrainians living abroad into national life, which strengthens ties within the nation and makes it possible to support the country even at a distance.

Although a conflict exists between those who stayed in Ukraine and those who left the country, most Ukrainians consider it insignificant. Golovakha forecasts that about half of those who emigrated will return after the war thanks to their attachment to their homeland and their wish to take part in its recovery. Ukrainians value their roots highly and often do not want to leave even combat zones.

Golovakha stresses that successful recovery will require long-term programmes of rehabilitation and psychological support. It is no accident that a record number of Ukrainian students have chosen psychology as their field, which matters for supporting people with post-traumatic disorders.

The professor also highlighted the challenges connected with Ukraine's accession to the EU. Despite Poland's support, possible conflicts may complicate this process, and he called on democratic countries to focus on the main goals rather than on differences, deferring secondary questions to the future.

Summing up, the head of the country's principal academic sociological institute stressed: “An accelerated formation of a modern political nation has taken place in Ukraine. When we saw that we could resist so terrible and aggressive a machine as the Russian empire, it aroused admiration in the world's most developed democratic countries, and we ourselves felt pride in and respect for our country, which Ukrainians today regard as a value worth building their lives around and in whose prospects they believe. Ukrainian society is consolidated as never before. The overwhelming majority of people in all regions of Ukraine have chosen the path to the EU and NATO as their political vector. We have no other path — only victory can give us the chance to live normally. We are choosing between freedom and bondage, between independence and dissolution in Russia, and we are fighting for one thing — a free, independent Ukraine with a choice of its own. Anything else would simply be a new slavery. Understanding this gives strength, as does the fact that our resistance is supported by the best, most advanced part of humanity.”

The full material: https://www.sestry.eu/statti/gumor-ukrayinciv-ce-forma-protistoyannya-zhahu