Social integration strategies of Ukrainian society during the wartime

Abstract

In the context of a full-scale war against Ukraine, social integration acquires the status of a priority direction of state policy, which is directly related to national security, unity and stability of society. There is an urgent need for a scientific understanding of those mechanisms that allow maintaining or restoring ties between citizens and the state, between different social, regional and demographic groups. The purpose of the article is to analyze micro- and macro-level factors of social integration in wartime conditions, as well as to identify key strategies that are used or can be implemented in Ukrainian society to strengthen cohesion, adaptation of internally displaced persons, veterans, refugees and other vulnerable categories. The study uses an interdisciplinary approach based on the methods of critical analysis of scientific sources, comparative generalization, structural and functional analysis and typology. As a result, two main levels of integration processes were identified – individual and institutional-state, between which there is a dynamic interaction. Three types of integration strategies implemented in modern Ukraine were systematized: state, local (civic) and externally oriented (diaspora). It was noted that each of them has its own advantages and limitations, but in combination they form the potential for the restoration and development of social unity. As a result, practical recommendations for improving integration policy were substantiated: strengthening interlevel coordination, simplifying legal procedures for internally displaced persons, expanding access to social services, supporting volunteer initiatives, and including the new diaspora in reconstruction processes. The need for systematic monitoring of social integration indicators to adapt policies to the changing security and social environment was also emphasized. The scientific novelty lies in the identification of a structural typology of integration strategies in war conditions, taking into account their functional potential. The practical value of the study lies in providing recommendations that can be used by state authorities, communities and international partners to strengthen social cohesion in the context of war and post-war transformation.