Ukrainians’ perceptions of social solidarity: Empirical verification of the representational field

The article presented an analysis of theoretical and empirical studies of social representations of solidarity among Ukrainians, carried out from an interdisciplinary perspective and using the method of free association experiment. On the basis of theoretical and empirical analysis, it was proved that solidarity is a fundamental psychological prerequisite for social change, and understanding its nature, forms and status is important for social development in general, and in particular, in the context of state-building. The empirical study of social representations of solidarity was carried out within the framework of the psychosemantic approach through the symbolic verbal mediation of these representations/perceptions and their socio-cultural context. The findings indicated a well-structured and coherent psychological structure of social solidarity representations, with a clearly defined core that extends into additional layers, suggesting a range of possible connections between solidarity and different aspects. The interpretation of these findings highlighted the dominant value-based elements of social solidarity, such as ideology, patriotism and spirituality, which were influenced by the current social reality and its willingness to accept and implement the changes necessary for successful modernisation, framed by a shift in emphasis towards subjectivity in the cultural context of action. Thus, attention was focused not only on the end result, but also on the actions that contribute to its achievement