National Identity Meaning and Attitudes Toward War, Peace, and the Future of Ukraine

ABSTRACT The link between attitudes and social identity is complex, influencing perceptions, motivations, and actions. Social psychological research mainly focused on the role of attitude in identity formation, particularly in the contexts of social movements and collective action. However, there is a visible lack of research on attitude‐identity interactions during violent conflicts and in non‐American settings. Using the concepts of homogenization or diversification of identities and war attitudes, the present study explores how the ongoing war in Ukraine influences identities, attitudes, and interactions between the two. Based on an analysis of 50 interviews with opinion makers in Ukraine, this research demonstrates that the existence of a significant Russian‐speaking minority in Ukraine, as well as other ethnolinguistic minorities, leads to contesting attitudes and meanings of identity as the population struggles to make sense of the war and the nation. As a result, distinct patterns of interconnections between national identity and attitudes toward the war emerge, demonstrating the diversification dynamics of identity and attitudes in this case. We identified ethnocultural, civic, and multicultural meanings of national identity, each connected to a specific set of attitudes toward the war, peace, and the future of Ukraine. Thus, while the war increased social cohesion in Ukraine, attitudes toward the conflict and the nation's future differ significantly depending on the meaning of national identity.