Problems of perception of militarism and military culture in modern civil society

Abstract

The issues of modern perception by civil society of the phenomena of «military culture», «militarism», «militarization» in various socio-political circumstances are investigated and the trends of their spread and popularization in Ukrainian society are substantiated. It is pointed out that militarization affects the public consciousness, forming perceptions of security and protection, which can both support and threaten democracy and the values of civil society. It is suggested that modern globalization processes, hybrid policies, wars and military conflicts make us think about the importance and protection of democratic values. The positive and negative aspects of militarization and the spread of military culture are shown. In particular, the emphasis is on the possibilities of heroizing the military context during the war, social mobilization of citizens, manifestations of patriotism in the interests of national security. On the other hand, the danger and probability of conflict between military and public values, threats to socio-cultural development, civil liberties and rights are shown. An analysis of examples of the main elements of military culture is offered, taking into account the author’s observations, as well as the negative or positive perception of this phenomenon by Ukrainians. As a result, it is proven that the phenomena of «militarism» and «military culture» should be perceived as universal phenomena that have an impact on all important spheres of human life. The search for symbolism in militarization in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war, threats to statehood, and other vicissitudes of society’s development was carried out. It is also emphasized that militarization and a person's willingness to protect the values of civil society (with the help of activity, self-development, education) interact in a special way even in difficult times for state building