How Ukrainians' wartime unity changes the usefulness of ethnic categories

Abstract Theory suggests that the meaning of identity categories can vary across populations and change with time. By implication, the analytical usefulness of a given category as a measure of ethnic identity can also change, varying along with its cognitive and social usefulness to the examined population. In a prior study, we claimed that the usefulness of different measures of ethnic identity in Ukraine had changed in response to a revolution and the initiation of violent conflict with Russia in 2014. We now test this theory with new data on a new cataclysm, Russia's 2022 full‐blown invasion of Ukraine. Our analysis confirms that international conflict enhances the usefulness of categories related to external delimitation from foreigners while rendering less useful those pertaining to internal differentiation in Ukrainian society.