Assessment of Ukrainians perceptions toward European Union values: empirical results

Размещено на http://www.allbest.ru/

V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

European University Viadrina Frankfurt

ASSESSMENT OF UKRAINIANS PERCEPTIONS TOWARD EUROPEAN UNION VALUES: EMPIRICAL RESULTS

O. NOSOVA D.Sc. (Economics), Professor,

Professor of the Department of

Annotation

european union perception public

The paper aims to assess changes in the public perceptions of European Union values in Ukraine in the conditions of external aggression. It explores how conflict escalation affects the public views in different groups, and changes attitudes and beliefs regarding adopting European Union values in society. The paper analyses the concepts of value and demonstrates the devaluation of cultural and social values in some population groups. The methodology applies a survey based on online interviews and descriptive statistics methods. The Schwartz methodology in the World Values Survey 2020 is used to create a survey questionnaire. An online survey of Ukrainians' worldviews of European Union values perceptions was conducted for Ukrainian citizens in all regions except for the territories, occupied in 2022. The survey results highlight the trend of commitment of a major part of Ukrainian citizens to European Union values. The research demonstrates the inconsistencies in the importance and satisfaction of social values and stereotypes, compliance with the law, personal freedom and human rights, level of economic freedom, and commitment to European integration. These contradictions will be resolved through the development of favorable conditions and of beliefs and convictions of people that support the adoption and dissemination of European values.

Keywords: values, European Union values, values assessment, European integration.

Анотація

О. В. НОСОВА, доктор економічних наук, професор, професор кафедри маркетингу, менеджменту та підприємництва, Харківський національний університет імені В.Н. Каразіна професор Європейського університету Віадріна у Франкфурті-на-Одері, Європейський Університет Віадріна

ОЦІНКА СТАВЛЕННЯ УКРАЇНЦІВ ДО ЦІННОСТЕЙ ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКОГО СОЮЗУ: ЕМПІРИЧНІ РЕЗУЛЬТАТИ

Метою статті є оцінка змін сприйнятті цінностей Європейського Союзу суспільством в Україні в умовах зовнішньої агресії. В роботі досліджується питання впливу ескалації конфлікту на суспільні погляди різних груп, а також як змінюється ставлення та переконання щодо прийняття цінностей Європейського Союзу в суспільстві. У статті аналізується поняття цінності та вказуються на девальвацію культурних і соціальних цінностей у деяких групах населення. В статті використовується результати опитування на основі проведеного онлайн-інтерв'ю та проведено аналіз з використанням методів дескриптивної статистики. Анкету для опитування було створено на основі використання методології Шварца у Всесвітньому дослідженні цінностей 2020. У 2022 році серед громадян України в усіх регіонах, крім окупованих територій, було проведено онлайн-дослідження світогляду українців щодо сприйняття цінностей Європейського Союзу. Наведені результати опитування підкреслюють тенденцію прихильності значної частини громадян України до європейських цінностей. Дослідження демонструє відсутність задоволення серед громадян у питаннях: невідповідності соціальних цінностей і стереотипів, дотримання законів, особистих свобод та прав людини, рівня економічної свободи. Отримані висновки свідчать про доцільність продовження дослідження ціннісних змін у суспільстві. Створення привабливих умов та формування вірувань і переконань у напрямку поширення та адаптації цінностей Європейського Союзу сприятиме європейській інтеграції України.

Ключові слова: цінності, цінності Європейського Союзу, оцінка цінностей, євроінтеграція.

Introduction

The paper aims to assess the change in the perception of the Ukrainians towards the European Union's values after the invasion of Ukraine. Most Ukrainians support the core European Union values such as respect for human dignity and rights, freedom, democracy, equality, and the rule of law. The online survey for Ukrainian citizens was provided in 2022 in all Ukrainian regions (except for the occupied territories).

The idea of value describes something significant to someone, such as worth or utility. “The existence of subjective or objective definitions of values reflects the diversity of approaches, and division on instrumental/final values and extrinsic/intrinsic values” (Value, Philosophical Theories, 2020). “Culture plays a greater role in encouraging certain characteristics and values such as independence, risk-taking, innovation, and competitive aggressiveness” mentioned by Lee & Peterson (2000). Since the Act of Declaration of Independence on 24 June 1991, Ukraine provides a policy, that is directed to encourage the adaptation of European values, which had strong support in the country from a large part of the population and groups. Values are the fundamental elements of culture; they define the meaning and significance for the people within a social system (society.) Young (2022) asserts that “liberal values should be applied globally because they have universal moral implications, particularly given that a democratic international order is supposedly more stable than one based on immoral power relations”.

The problem of values evolved relevant in the transformational period when cultural traditions were devalued and new values and behavioral forms appeared, reflecting the democratic development of the country, and the path to future European Union integration. The external aggression against Ukraine has led to accelerating the process of the European Union values dissemination and adaptation in the society.

The paper presents the survey estimation results of changes in public opinions of Ukrainians for European Integration values after military aggression. The data source is survey data, results of the author's online poll in 2022.

The paper used the author's online poll data and descriptive statistics methods, including conceptualization, data analysis, data collection, measurement, and research design.

The paper contented the estimations of importance and satisfaction of eight value criteria, containing value subcategories. The concept of the World Values Survey 2020 (2020), based on the Schwartz methodology (Schwartz, 1992) is applied to create a survey questionnaire sample, highlighting the core values, such as honesty, patriotism, readiness for self-sacrifice, and readiness to forgive others.

With the help of the obtained estimations, it was feasible to compare the importance and satisfaction of value outcomes and identify the discomfort, indifference, loyalty, and overpayment zones.

Even though most Ukrainians support and share European values, some individuals hold the opposite viewpoint. The estimation findings show some inconsistencies in values and value subcategories. The study showed the disparities between the importance and satisfaction in the following categories: social values and stereotypes, legal compliance, degree of economic freedom, and dedication to European unity. It supports the upward tendency and the strong adherence to European ideals by most Ukrainians. After the armed invasion in Ukraine, some old-minded individuals shifted their post-Soviet beliefs toward European values. These societal trends reflect the huge changes and adjustments in the consciousness and behavior of groups. The high moral principles include the brave and patriotic responses of the Ukrainians toward the aggressors, the preservation and maintenance of principles for European integration, and the unity of Ukraine as a country.

Review of the literature

The literature review substantiates the broad notion of value and modern concepts. Personal values reflect beliefs and what is important for a person. Both categories explain the grounds for personal motivations and drive personal decision-making. Schwartz's method for diagnosing value orientations allows for diagnosing the structure of value orientations of an individual or a group (through group averages) (Schwartz, 1992). The main feature of this technique is that the value concept is differentiated. Values are defined as abstract ideals. A used technique comes down to evaluating nouns and adjectives that describe different values. Values are an action guide. These indicators are used to assess the specific achievements of people. The European values study is based on neoliberalism, neoliberal institutionalism, social constructivism, and critical approaches. “The Political Economy of European Integration focuses on the questions regarding the role of the state and the interaction between the state and the system. It bridges and narrows the gap between “American” and “European Studies of European Integration,”pointed out Verdun (2005). Tallis (2023) argues that “Ukrainians support their country's European direction and the chance to live by “European values.” The author introduces “contradictions in the EU's approach to Central and Eastern European states from 2004-2014.” The scientist analyses “the relationship between identities, borders, and orders and their constellations in movable Europe.” Dymchenko et al. (2021) define economic values by applying an integral indicator of economic estimation of the business activity of the enterprise. Sologoub (2022) analyses political values and considers that providing the EU candidate status to Ukraine gives moral support to the Ukrainian people during the war and provides an anchor for further reforms. Nafus (2018) asserts “the necessity of the formation of an integral system of basic values and fundamental principles that unite society.” Gataullin & Lebedev (2011) ascertained that the degree of human freedom as a consumer is determined in a transformative way by the architectonics of the space of post-ideology. “A remarkable and persistent difference between Eastern and Western European values is interpersonal trust: high in the West, low in the East. After all, trust is believed to stimulate social cohesio n and economic growth”, - emphasize Halman et al. (2022).

The way the European Union operates shows how various nations view European values, showing how attitudes converge and diverge throughout all stages of growth. Luijkx et al. (Reflections on European Values, 2022) discovered that ” in richer countries, greater levels of inequality are associated with a lower endorsement of autonomy values, whereas this relationship was not observed in poorer countries”. After receiving the status of a candidate for EU membership on June 23, 2022, Ukraine identified the main European values that it strives to implement in modern Ukrainian society. They are “liberty, democracy, equality, the rule of law, respect for human dignity, and respect for human rights” (Ukraine in World Values Survey. Resume of the Analytical Report, 2020).

Numerous studies highlight important alterations in people's awareness that have taken place since the start of the external invasion. The comparison of assessments results of the empirical surveys “How Ukrainians perceive European values (2017)”, “World Values Survey. Wave six (20102014)”, “Ukraine in World Values Survey 2020”, “Are Ukrainian values closer to Russia or Europe (Reeskens, 2022) proves the belief that European values shared by Ukrainian citizens need deep adaptation in the country. “The following results include conveying the importance of democracy, satisfaction with the political system, reported `closeness to Europe and tolerance towards homosexuality,” -writes Nosova (2022a).

The Twelfth Way of the Gradus Research Study (Social Screening of Ukrainian Society, 2022) was directed to define Ukrainians' actions during the full-scale war and assess the changes inside Ukrainian society in the short run and long run perspectives. The survey questionnaire contains questions on the energy situation, perception of the full-scale war with Russia, the importance of values and observance of the principles, and employment during the war. On the European scale of values, the pre-existing value systems are being replaced by new ones that put more emphasis on culture, relieving the burden of corruption, and restoring society's moral character. The most recent evaluation in Ukraine shows that Ukrainians believe in the designation of core European values democracy, freedom of religion, the rule of law, and tolerance (Ukrainian Society and European Values, 2022). Adherence to European values accelerates the democratic society and the rule of law. This strategy allows for the formulation of a policy for the personal cultural development of citizens, and the dissemination of best European practices of relations in society (Nosova, 2022b).

The review of the existing works and approaches to the European Union value assessment confirms that a significant part of the Ukrainian population changed their attitude toward post-socialist values and ideas and turned into opponents of these postulates after the beginning of a full scale war in Ukraine.

“Social changes in institutions, norms, values, and hierarchies result in the formation of civil society. Thus, managing economic units as well as global business requires balancing forces between homogenization and differentiation of institutions”, - write Nosova & Lypov (2022). The paper emphasizes the need for a special study of European integration and regional values adaptation in Ukraine, which outlines the key problem for providing humanitarian safety based on an analysis of EU legislation. The creation of institutions is needed, that ensure the best possible practices application and achievement of symbiosis between regional and European values and principles.

Methodology

The methodology adopted in this study is a survey method based on interview assessment and description. The survey was conducted to assess public opinion polls for Ukrainian citizens from September 1 - October 31, 2022. The survey was organized through the questionnaire in the online application form. The questionnaire applied the methodology of the World Values Survey, highlighting the core values, such as honesty, patriotism, readiness for self-sacrifice, and readiness to forgive others.

The survey uses a Likert Scale - a 5-point scale, referred to as a satisfaction scale, that ranges from one extreme attitude to another. A multivariate assessment method is used in respondents' responses. The importance is defined as: very important - 5, low important - 4, partially important - 3, less important - 2, not important - 1. Respondents choose to use the proposed answer options: completely satisfied - 5, low satisfied - 4, somewhat satisfied - 3, less satisfied - 2, and not satisfied - 1. An assessment of the importance and satisfaction with value categories contains information about what different groups of the population are consider to be important and not important, and what are they satisfied with or dissatisfied with, and in what areas the value system should be improved in the direction of European values. To conduct the assessment, a questionnaire was developed, where respondents were asked to first-rate the degree of importance for them of each satisfaction factor in points from 1 (“not at all important”) to 5 (“critically important”). The resulting scores were then used to calculate adjustment factors reflecting each factor relative importance or "share" in overall respondents' satisfaction. The questionnaire included 4 value criteria and 18 subcategories that characterize different aspects of the formation and perception of European values in Ukraine. The estimation results of the importance and satisfaction model are shown in figures 1-8, which demonstrates that there is a discrepancy between importance and satisfaction for several value subcategories in the respondents' answers.

Further, respondent satisfaction for each criterion is separately assessed. All the factors that affect respondent satisfaction have different meanings and importance for various people. Each person has unique intrinsic perceptions and beliefs of European values. In practice, this means that questionnaires devoted to assessing importance and satisfaction should reveal not only the degree but also subcategories of life and work satisfaction of the respondents. 502 respondents living in all regions of Ukraine (except for the Autonomous Republic of Crimea) were surveyed (Fig. 1 - Fig. 5).

29.1% of respondents were of age 41 - 59, 21.3% took part in the survey at age 28-40 years, 22.1 % of applicants were 18-21 years, and the rest (9%) were 60 years and older.

Fig. 2 Marital status of respondents (were are Married ones??)

Source: created by the author

The survey participants defined that they had the following education levels. 69.5% of respondents had a higher education, 22.5% mentioned an unfinished education, and 8% indicated secondary or its equivalent.

The survey was conducted with citizens of Ukraine who at the time of the survey lived on the territory of Ukraine until February 24, 2022 (Fig. 4). 62.4% lived in the East of Ukraine before starting the hostilities. 23.1% of respondents pointed to the Center/North of Ukraine, 7% of applicants lived in the Center, and the rest mentioned the West of Ukraine.

The analysis of the types of employment of respondents showed that there were 29.1% of students, 21.3% were employees, and 19.5% were businessmen. Workers made up 12.5%, and 7% - of pensioners (See Figure 5).

The sample did not include residents of territories that were temporarily not controlled by the authorities of Ukraine until February 24, 2022 (the Autonomous Republic of Crimea, the city of Sevastopol, and certain districts of the Donetsk and Lugansk regions).

Statement of the objectives of the article. The main hypothesis driving the paper is that ideas and perceptions of European values and beliefs are largely strengthened and supported by a significant part of the Ukrainian people after military aggression against Ukraine.

Presentation of the basic material. The questionnaire sample consists of the basic five value categories. They are social values and stereotypes, attitude to religion, compliance with legality, economic freedom level, and commitment to European integration. The choice of value categories is based on generalized data from previous studies and reflects the main value characteristics of the European Union ideals. To provide a deep explanation of the received results we continue the value analysis with subcategories.

The four blocks of value assessment determine the degree of importance and satisfaction of statements from 1 to 5 (where 1 completely disagrees, 5 completely agrees).

The first block of social values and stereotypes is characterized by the following subcategories: family, friends and acquaintances, leisure and free time, work, social welfare, and faith in people. These values reflect the fundamental values in society. Social values determine life ideals and goals that, in the opinion of the majority in a given society, should be achieved. These are ideas, principles, objects, and their properties regarding their significance for human life and society. Stereotypes in the modern world are standardized, stable, value-defined, emotionally saturated images (scheme, cliche, template) that embody the essence of the concept of a social object (individual, group, phenomenon, or process). The formation of a stereotype is based on the real socio-psychological phenomenon of unification, schematization, and generalization of personal life experience data based on possible sources of information.

Table 1

Social Values and stereotypes assessment