CIVIC ACTIVITY AS A MEANS TO BUILD A SOCIAL-SAFE ENVIRONMENT

Abstract

The dramatic political destabilization in Ukraine significantly actualized the personal safety issues. Overcoming the external situation negatives is possible with the individual knowledge and abilities, the civic activity skills are among them, for building social-safe environment.

The scientific research was conducted to study the features of civic activity and the differences between civil activists and ordinary citizens. We formed the experimental group, which included NGO activists, and the control with citizens who don’t participate in public activities. 152 respondents in total, 21–65 years, from different regions of Ukraine, with the same distribution characteristics (gender, age, profession). The study used questionnaires developed by Guseva A. (2009) to evaluate the youth civic activity in the West and South of Ukraine.

The comparison showed that both groups haven’t rated the civil society as a real way to control authorities, only as a way of community self-organization, which is positive as well. No differences in the evaluation of respondents’ own knowledge and skills to implement civic activity were found. But the civil society activists are more likely to consider civil society as a tool to promote democracy, to participate, to support actions of protest etc. It suggests the need to consider these respondents as the core of the social capital of Ukraine.

The study results can be used to develop the social technologies of public policies enhancements that correspond to the present stage of Ukrainian society development, to formulate the incentive principles of individual and collective forms of civic activity.