The Phenomenon of Ukrainian Resilience

Abstract

This article presents an initial conceptualization of the phenomenon of Ukrainian resilience within the framework of social systemology and the theory of non-additive society, followed by an empirical verification of the proposed theoretical assumptions. Resilience is defined as a systemic, multilevel formation characterized by an organic integration of cognitive and behavioral components inherent both to society as a whole and to specific social groups. It is oriented toward countering external aggression, possesses the potential for sustained and effective resistance, and demonstrates both the stability of the social system and its capacity for renewal. This formation is regarded as a central characteristic of contemporary Ukrainian society under the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war, one that ensures the emergence of a new quality of social life in all its manifestations. This conceptualization also determines the specificity of the sociological approach to the interpretation of resilience, as compared to the natural sciences and other social sciences and humanities. Accordingly, the conceptual and categorical framework is refined, with particular attention paid to the diverse uses of the terms social resilience and resilience as synonyms in Ukrainian- and English-language academic literature. A clear distinction is also drawn between the concepts of resilience and resistance. The article further advances a set of arguments in support of the proposition concerning the agents / subjects of resilience, which, within sociology, can be productively examined across all four levels of sociological analysis – mega-, macro-, meso-, and micro-levels. On this basis, the choice of the following subjects as key agents of resilience is substantiated: (a) Ukrainian society as a whole and large social formations (macro-level), and (b) the social group of volunteers (meso-level). Three substantive areas of analysis of resilience under the conditions of the ongoing war are identified: the formation of the Ukrainian political nation, and the emergence of a new quality of civil society and social capital. These and other theoretical assumptions were incorporated into the formulation of working hypotheses for the empirical study, with the aim of their verification and further operationalization into specific indicators, as well as the subsequent construction of a cumulative index of (social) resilience. These indicators were included in the survey questionnaire of the sociological study of the phenomenon of Ukrainian resilience, which made it possible to construct a generalized resilience index for Ukrainians as of July 2025 and to compare it with the resilience indicators of the social group of volunteers. The conclusions present the overall findings of this comprehensive study and outline directions for the further improvement of research procedures.