Bilingual Linguistic and National Identity (A Case Study of the Sociolinguistic Surveys in Ukraine)

Abstract

The article explores the problems of the correlation of linguistic, ethnic, and national identity, and defines related terms and concepts. It also considers the issues of bilingual individuals’ linguistic and national identity. The practical analysis of the current language situation in Ukraine, defined as bilingual, is based on a sociolinguistic survey from May 2022. The theoretical conclusions of the research define ethnic identity as the awareness of an individual’s belonging to a specific group in society and, as a result, sharing values and guidelines for their worldview and communicative behaviour with this group’s representatives. According to the survey, one of the distinguishing features of how Ukrainian citizens determine their national identity is the citizenship criterion. Therefore, national and linguistic identity is a historically changing phenomenon that, under certain conditions and at different times, is determined by the awareness of belonging to a social group within the boundaries of a single state and is associated with the state language. This identity is a two-sided semiotic, discursive construction that manifests signs to distinguish “Us” from “Them”. Currently, in Ukraine, amid the war with Russia, bilingual Ukrainians almost unanimously identify themselves as Ukrainians by nationality, which indicates unity and patriotism. Nevertheless, there are no established criteria for defining ethnic, national, and linguistic identities. The significance and relevance of the situation determine the discursive construction claiming hegemony at this historical moment under these historical conditions. In this regard, national identity is believed to be a dynamic process conditioned by the discursive construction prevailing over a given period. It unites the nation when it faces challenges to cope with.