CHANGES IN SOCIAL COHESION IN THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY IN THE CONTEXT OF CRISIS PHENOMENA IN SOCIETY

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to find out the impact of crisis conditions in society, in particular the war and the COVID-19 pandemic, on the development of social cohesion of the university community in Ukraine using the Social Cohesion Radar research tool. The study was conducted according to the methodology proposed by the Social Cohesion Radar (Bertelsmann Foundation), which helped to interpret a set of questionnaires received in 2019-2022 in the community of the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University (NPDU), Ukraine. The findings showed that the level of cohesion varies moderately by spheres and their size. Some tend to increase and some, on the contrary, to decrease. People's acceptance of diversity increased during the pandemic and decreased in both surveys in 2022, and trust in people has a steady upward trend, but the importance of social ties decreases somewhat in crisis conditions, given its growth in non-crisis times. The sphere of communication and its volume have significantly decreased, reflecting a decrease in trust in institutions, identification with them and perception of fair treatment during the pandemic, with these dimensions characterized by uneven changes in non-war and war periods in 2022. The connection with the place of work and study also decreases. This may be due to distance learning and working during certain periods in 2020 and in the wartime period of 2022. Orientation towards the common good increases with a slight decline in the military period of 2022. It is noteworthy that civic participation increases in times of crisis. According to the above data, there is an increase in some areas, and it can be said that cohesion slightly increases depending on the area, the group studied and the crisis period. The study showed changes in social stability and communications in the university community of the National Pedagogical Dragomanov University due to the impact of crisis conditions, in particular, war or pandemic. This study provides an understanding of the values of trust and social cohesion as key drivers of social behavior in different situations of social challenges, including the challenges of the war in Ukraine and the pandemic. These results can be used to study the resilience of Ukrainian society, to find the main directions and foundations of social stability.