Political Factors as Possible Determinants behind the Sense of Identification with the Nation, State, or Society: The case of Ukraine and Russia

This study focuses on comparing the identity formation processes between Ukraine and Russia. Drawing upon recent findings on the diversity of ethnicities, this analysis distinguishes between national, civic, and social identity types. World Values data are used to demonstrate that each of these identities is significantly influenced by the political values and preferences of the respondents. To define the political dimension, I discuss the contrasts between the two countries in terms of their political systems and dominant narratives of nationalism. My results suggest that of the wide range of the selected predictors, the value of voting, past participation in national elections, intolerance to control, and greater trust in the press essentially increase the likelihood of opting for Ukraine for at least one of the chosen identities. For Russia, strong evidence supports the current discourse on the imperial vision. My analysis demonstrates that individuals are more likely to identify themselves with Russia if they display greater trust in the government and support more authoritarian methods of governance such as tolerating surveillance and restrictions on freedom.