The Accommodation of Regional and Ethno-cultural Diversity in Ukraine (Federalism and Internal Conflicts)

The book offers new insights into how ethnicity, language and regional-local identity interact within the context of Ukrainian political reform, and indicates how these reforms affect social cohesion among ethno-cultural groups. While the individual chapters each focus on one or a few facets of the overall research question, together they draw a nuanced picture of the multifaceted challenges to creating and consolidating social cohesion in a nationalizing state. The concept integrates various disciplines, including political science, international relations, law, and sociology. Correspondingly, the contributions are based on various methodological approaches, ranging from legal analysis over media discourse analysis, individual and focus group interviews to analysis of data from a representative population survey. The findings of the in-depth study are discussed within the broader context of comparative research on diversity management and social cohesion in fragmented societies. Preface Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables 1 Political Reforms in Ukraine and Their Effects on Social Cohesion—A Conceptualization Reform Politics and Regional Diversity The Explanandum: Social Cohesion in Ukrainian Border Regions Balancing Reform Policies in Border Regions with Blurred Identities Territorial Politics Identity Politics: Education and Language Reforms Party Politics The Geopolitical Context as a ‘Triadic Nexus’ Accommodating Regional and Ethno-cultural Diversity in Ukraine: Lessons for Comparative Research on Social Cohesion 2 The Regional Diversity of Ukraine: Can Federalization Be Achieved? Introduction Accommodation of Diverse Societies and Federalization: Theoretical Arguments Federal Society The Paradox of Federalism Triadic Nationalism The Issue of ‘Partial’ Federalization and Federal Practices Prerequisites for Federalizing Ukraine Ukraine’s Regional Diversity Fixed or Fluid Ethno-Linguistic Diversity The Historical Roots of Ukraine’s Regional Diversity Unitarianism Versus Federalism in the Ukrainian Debate—The ‘Path Dependency’ Argument The Weak Roots of Federalism in Ukraine Unitarianism Versus Federalism in Ukraine Since 1991 Decentralization Reforms as a Means of Averting Federalism Cross-Cutting Political Conflict Lines and the Role of Political Parties: Federal Practices? Problems of Securitization and the ‘Triadic Nexus’ Fears of Irredentism and Undue Influence from Russia Autonomy for Territories in the Donbas as a ‘federal’ Component? Concluding Discussion 3 A Triadic Nexus Conflict? Ukraine’s Nationalizing Policies, Russia’s Homeland Nationalism, and the Dynamics of Escalation in 2014–2019 Introduction Memory Politics and ‘De-communization’ Russian Reactions Education and Language Background Russian Reactions Interpreting the Russian–Ukrainian Conflict in Historical Context Further Deliberations on the Russian–Ukrainian Conflict 4 Regulating Minority Languages in Ukraine’s Educational System: Debate, Legal Framework and Implementation Introduction Media Discourse Analysis of the Language-In-Education Issue in Ukraine UkrSSR Law ‘On Languages in the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic’ (1989–2012) The Ukrainian Law ‘On Principles of the State Language Policy’ (2012–2018) Content of the Law Media Discourses Effects in Educational Domain: Revoking of the 2012 Law by the Constitutional Court Ukrainian Laws ‘On Education’ (2017–), ‘On Supporting the Functioning of Ukrainian as the State Language’ (2019–) Content of Legal Regulations 2019 Language Law and 2017 Law on Education in Media Venice Commission’s Analyses of the New Language and Education Legislation, and Responses from the Ukrainian Authorities Conclusions 5 The Discourse of Moderation and Cohesion as an Effective Electoral Tool: Sluha Narodu in Ukraine’s 2019 Parliamentary Campaign Introduction Theory Political Cleavages Political Parties Ukraine’s Cleavages and Political Parties Ukraine’s Political Parties in the 2019 Parliamentary Elections Rhetorical Manoeuvring Before the 2019 Parliamentary Electoral Campaign Methodology Applied in the Discourse Analysis The Material Selected for Analysis Analytical Procedure Empirical Data Analysis Thematic Frame: Information About the Electoral Campaign Thematic Frame: The Fight Against Misinformation and Smear Campaigns Thematic Frame: Electoral Procedure Complementary Image-Building Explaining Sluha Narodu’s Electoral Success Conclusions 6 Decentralization, Social Cohesion and Ethno-Cultural Diversity in Ukraine’s Border Regions Introduction Ukrainian Decentralization Reform: A Snapshot Theory: Links Between Decentralization, Social Cohesion and Ethno-Cultural Diversity Data, Methods and Case Study Sites Data and Methods The case regions Kharkiv and Chernivtsi Empirical Findings Decisions on Amalgamation: Economic and Infrastructural Concerns in Focus Social Cohesion After Amalgamation: New Arenas of Participation Few Effects of Amalgamation on Ethno-cultural Relations Similarities and Differences Between the Two Regions Concluding Discussion 7 Educational Reform and Language Policy in Ukraine: Implementation in the Border Regions Introduction Brubaker’s ‘Triadic Nexus’? Perceptions of Legal Changes in Two Border Regions: Methods and Recruitment Language of Instruction in Ukrainian Primary and Secondary Education; the 2017 Law on Education and Its Language Clause Tracing the Effects of the Education Act in Two Regions Status of Ukrainian Among National Minorities; Parents as Customers of Educational Services The Language Clause: Perceptions of Language, Identity and Belonging Intentions of the Authorities and the Undisputed State Language A ‘Hierarchy’ of Languages Implications of the New Language Provision: Concluding Discussion Appendices Table of schools List of interviewees List of focus group participants 8 The Politics of Identity in Ukrainian Border Regions Introduction Theoretical Framework Politics of Identity: Operationalization of the Concept Legitimizing, Resistance and Project Identities Channels and Instruments of Legitimized Politics of Identity Education as a Channel of Identity Politics Language as an Instrument of Identity Politics Data, Methods and Two Research Cases Two Research Cases: Brief Context Empirical Findings From Accepting to Resistance: Strengthening the Role of Non-Legitimized Actors of Politics of Identity Romania as a Border State: From Attract-Factors to the ‘discourse of Comparison’ as Elements of the Politics of Identity of a Supranational Actor The Russian Language is not the Russian Authorities: Between the Images of ‘language of the Enemy’ and the ‘discriminated Language’ Concluding Discussion 9 Citizens’ perspectives: Reform and social cohesion in Ukraine’s border regions Introduction Social Cohesion in Ukrainian Border Regions: How Can It Be Measured? Data and Methodology Attitudes Towards the Decentralization Reform Attitudes Towards Language of Instruction in Ukrainian Schools Social Cohesion in the Border Regions Visual Presentation of Relations Between Social Cohesion Indicators Concluding Discussion Appendix 1 Appendix 2