Rukh, the social construction of protest, 1988-1992

grantor: University of TorontoThis dissertation is a study of Rukh, the main national movement in Ukraine between 1988 and 1992. The time frame under study embraces the inception of Rukh, the period of Rukh's greatest influence on Ukrainian politics (including Ukraine's eventual declaration of independence from the USSR), and finally, the decline and splintering of the movement in the aftermath of independence. Using Ukraine as a case study, we see the rapid transition of ethnopolitics in the Soviet Union from ethnic federalism to ethnonationalism. There have been a variety of studies of nationalism and national movements in the Ukrainian (and former Soviet) social science literature. These works tended to focus largely on nationalism. But to round out our understanding of the complex changes going on in Ukraine between 1988 and 1992, it is necessary to study the movement as well. This dissertation utilizes the social construction approach (taken from the social movement literature developed in the West), and in particular, concepts of collective identity, frame alignment, and multiorganizational fields, which, taken together with traditional approaches to nationalism, allow us to understand more fully the rise and forms of ethnonationalism that occurred in Ukraine. First, the social construction approach lets us view the ways in which Rukh framed and guided the nationalist debate in Ukraine. Next, by examining how Rukh's opponents and allies changed their strategies for mobilizing support (due to factors within and outside Ukraine), the multiorganizational field helps us analyze how and why Rukh's support grew and-then faltered during the time frame studied. For example, in 1989, Rukh was the focal point of opposition to the Ukrainian Communist Party (CPU). But by the end of 1990, Rukh found itself competing not only with the hardline faction of the CPU, but with an increasing number of political parties (many of which were allies of Rukh), along with an increasingly pragmatic faction within the CPU led by Leonid Kravchuk. It is also argued here that it is important to examine the evolution of historical memories and myths of different regions of Ukraine to understand how and why Rukh leaders used varying strategies in Eastern and Western Ukraine to mobilize support. Overall, the social construction approach not only shows a great deal of potential for analyzing the evolution of Rukh, but also for examining the processes of nation and state building that are taking place in Ukraine today.Ph.D