Why We Can’t All Get Along: Interpersonal Conflict and Social Networks in Post–Euromaidan Ukraine

Abstract

Ukraine’s recent history has been wrought with political crises. In the past three years, the country has undergone a revolution, lost Crimea to Russia through annexation, and seen a war begin on its territory. In the wake of these crises, Ukrainian society has been marked by political disagreement. I examine people’s attitudes toward those with whom they disagree and analyze how social networks are changing. What factors make someone more likely to have a fundamental difference in opinion with someone in their inner circle? Why is it so difficult for some to bear disagreement in their relationships that they choose to interact less with those people? Is it the very fact of identifying with a group that initiates conflict, or is are economic and political conflict of interests the real barriers for people who disagree to get along? To address these questions, I rely on a framework of social polarization, which focuses not on the issues people are disagreeing about but on their attitudes toward the outgroup with whom they disagree. Using long-form interviews and data from the 2015 Ukrainian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey, I evaluate how people interact with the “other” in Ukrainian society. I find that in Ukraine, more contact across difference breeds more conflict. But it is strong social identification, not difference alone, that makes people seek out more homogenous social networks. When ethnic division is politically salient, people react badly to political difference—in Ukraine, this means that ethnic Russians in the Donbass are prone to cutting off ties after disagreement, but ethnic Russians elsewhere are not. These findings show that the right conditions for contact to be able to reduce conflict are hard to find in Ukrainian society, and probably in many societies. It is possible to maintain relationships that are marked by disagreement, and many Ukrainians manage it. Overall, however, we should be cautious about relying on contact across lines of difference to reduce conflict.