Belarusian inhabitants’’ conceptualizations of the notion “citizen”

Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya. Belarusian inhabitants’’ conceptualizations of the notion “citizen” // Political Sphere №11, 2008 p. 74-88 ISSN1819-3625

Abstract

An analysis of the contemporary state of political and civil consciousness in Belarus discovers a number of contradictions. The high level of electoral participation goes with low motivation of voters «to influence the trend of developments in the country ». Another aspect of the existing contradictions the perception by state between residents of their citizenship: the identification with the citizens of the Republic of Belarus and significance of citizenship and while on the other hand, the neglect of political and legal status of citizen as a resource for solving social problems. On the basis of empirical sociological data the author determines in the article the correlation between the ideas about the concept «a citizen» and the peculiarity of perception of the country and of themselves as its citizens in conditions of contemporary Belarus.

Keywords:

Identity, identification, civil conciseness, public opinion, political behaviour.

Permanent link to full text:

Tatsiana Vadalazhskaya. Belarusian inhabitants’’ conceptualizations of the notion “citizen” // Political Sphere №11, 2008 p. 74-88 ISSN1819-3625