Сomparison of Norms of Morality of Ukrainian and Belarusian Societies between Generations

Authors

  • O. V. Kovtun Lesya Ukrainka Eastern European National University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29038/2306-3971-2014-02-24-32

Keywords:

post-Soviet Transformation, Generations, Norms of Morality, Index of Anomic Demoralization, Cynicism Index

Abstract

The changes of moral norms of Ukrainian and Belarusian between generations are analyzed in this article. Due to the radical social transformations of the early 90's the system of normative expectations of the Ukrainian and Belarusian societies lost determinateness, the condition of anomy has emerged. The total demoralization of the population is a peculiarity of post-Soviet anomy. Phenomena corruptness society by «circle of acquaintances» and corruptness its values and norms of the system as a results of anomy manifest the same in both societies. The presence of these specific phenomena of post-soviet anomy aggravates the condition of social disorganization of Ukrainian and Belarusian society. Thus, the destruction of the value-normative system leads to substantial changes in the actions of traditional regulator – morality.
Moral norms are not strictly fixed and are able to relay within the generations. Data of European Values Survey (EVS, 2008) and World Values Survey (WVS, 2011) confirm the variance of norms of morality in both societies between the generations. The results of EVS and WVS are evidence of liberalization of morality within different generations in Ukrainian and Belarusian societies. Ukrainian society follows the values of Western societies. In opposite, Belarusian society keeps neither traditional nor modern moral norms.
The peculiarity of Ukrainian society according to national monitoring (IS NAS Ukraine) is reducing with age indicators of demoralizations, alienation from society and the processes occurring in it, but slightly increasing rates of social cynicism among the youngest age group. The peculiarity of the Belarusian society is stronger inclination to justify immoral and illegal acts against the state - clearly visible paternalistic attitudes are evidence of keeping aloof society from state, and that ordinary Belarusians can not see for themselves the connection between their own welfare and the welfare of the state. Therefore, the generation’s factor is quite significant for moral differentiation of modern Ukrainian and Belarusian societies, but more intrinsic differences can be observed in the value-regulatory systems of both societies.

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Published

15.05.2018

Issue

Section

SOCIAL REALITY IN EMPIRICAL STUDIES