Patriotism in the Age of War and Globalisation: Contemporary Dilemmas of Ukrainian Youth

Abstract

This article examines how Ukrainian youth who have remained in the country during the wartime understand patriotism and evaluate the migration decisions of their peers. The study is situated in the context of the prolonged armed conflict initiated by the Russian Federation and intensified by the full-scale invasion in 2022, which has profoundly shaped the socialisation and life strategies of the Ukrainian post-Maidan generation. Based on the quantitative data collected using the CAWI (Computer-Assisted Web Interviewing) method (n = 742), the article analyses declared levels of patriotism, attitudes toward emigration during the war, and factors influencing decisions to stay in Ukraine. Due to wartime constraints, the initial probability-based distribution of the questionnaire could not be fully implemented. As a result, the sampling procedure shifted toward a non-probability design based on voluntary participation, with an additional snowball dissemination through respondents’ peer networks, resulting in a convenience sample with elements of snowball sampling. Qualitative data from an open-ended survey question complement the analysis by capturing students’ moral reasoning and perceptions of the social consequences of youth migration. The findings show that approximately 87% of respondents identify themselves as patriots and that the war has significantly strengthened their sense of national identity. At the same time, respondents expressed ambivalence toward equating staying in Ukraine directly with patriotism. The hypothesis that declared patriotism would be the primary factor preventing migration was only partially confirmed. Family ties, concerns about personal safety abroad, financial constraints, and language barriers proved more influential than patriotic motivation alone. Most respondents assessed their peers’ decisions to leave Ukraine in a neutral or positive manner, emphasising unequal opportunities to migrate.
The results indicate that Ukrainian youth combine a strong national attachment with openness to mobility shaped by globalisation and structural constraints. Remaining in Ukraine or migrating abroad should therefore be understood as alternative strategies of coping and self-realisation rather than mutually exclusive indicators of patriotism.