Twenty-fourth International Conference on Diversity in Organizations, Communities & Nations

Abstract

This research investigates the shifts in the cultural identity of Ukrainians. The patterns of people’s behavior are aligned with four dimensions of cultural variability, presented by William Gudykunst and Hofstede, such as individualism-collectivism, uncertainty avoidance, power distance, and masculinity-femininity. In Western individualistic cultures, an independent self-construal predominates. In collectivistic cultures, group goals take precedence over individual goals. Traditionally, Ukraine has been influenced by collectivistic cultural values due to its historical ties with Russia but even then, there were differences between cultural identity of those two nations. In Ukraine, with its warmer climate and fertile soil, individual farms, not collective farms, were more typical, and individualistic features in Ukrainian identity are becoming even more prominent nowadays. Cultures differ in power distance or the degree to which prestige and wealth are distributed in a society. In the 21st century, Ukraine is transitioning from an authoritarian to a more democratic society. The masculinity in cultures is correlated with the segregation of women in education and absence of equal job opportunities and nowadays Ukrainian culture has a blend of gender orientation traits. These shifts indicate a dynamic evolution in the cultural identity of Ukrainians, influenced by historical and socio-economic changes.