The role of religion in the formation of solidarity and social cohesion in independent Ukraine

Abstract

The article is devoted to the analysis of the role of the religious factor in the formation of solidarity and social cohesion in Ukraine during the period of independence. The relevance of this topic is substantiated by the fact that during the years of independence Ukraine has been going through the path of socio-political transformations, which are marked by important social processes of departure from the Soviet "inheritance" and building social relations on a new democratic basis. These transformational processes take place with certain points of particular aggravation and tension - crises, during which Ukrainians demonstrate an extremely high level of social cohesion, solidarity and readiness for self-sacrifice for the protection of common values. The authors investigate social and transformational processes in Ukrainian society, trying to apply the theoretical and methodological approach and conceptualization of the concept of solidarity carried out by Emile Durkheim and describe the experience of the transition from the USSR and gaining independence of Ukraine as the process of changing the types of solidarity from "mechanical" to "organic". Considerable attention is paid to social factors that affect the social cohesion of society in general and in Ukraine in particular. The article explores the potential of religion as a social institution that unites communities of various levels. The authors, analyzing the main trends of religious life in Ukraine during Ukraine's independence, as well as the state of public trust to the church, religious leaders, as well as the level of tolerance in society, testify the significant influence of the religious factor on social cohesion and solidarity in Ukraine. The courage, sacrifice and absolute unity of Ukrainians in resisting the full-scale aggression of Russia became another vivid confirmation of the "organic" type of solidarity that has formed in Ukraine. Different political forces, state structures of different levels, military, volunteers, civil society organizations and religious organizations acted as a single solidarity organism in defense of common values of freedom, sovereignty, territorial integrity of Ukraine, human dignity and identity. The scientific result is the substantiation of the influence of the religious factor on the formation of social cohesion through indicators of religious pluralism, the level of tolerance on religious grounds, the level of trust in religion. Indicators are derived from the methodological guidelines of E. Durkheim (in particular, his concept of different types of solidarity) and others, as well as modern approaches of international organizations engaged in research on social cohesion. The data of sociological studies of different years conducted in Ukraine, as well as the secondary analysis of sociological results, became the basis for the conclusion that religious organizations in Ukraine are active and equal subjects of civil society, which influenced and influence the formation of public attitudes and positions, and therefore social cohesion and solidarity in society.