Youth Movement as a Factor of Socio-Political Transformations in Ukraine (2013–2014)

Abstract

The aim of the article is to analyze the role of the youth movement as a factor of socio-political transformations in Ukraine during the Revolution of Dignity (2013–2014). Youth and student organizations are considered as a driving force of the protest movement, a platform for citizen mobilization, coordination of protest and volunteer activities, as well as the formation of political consciousness and civic engagement. The methodological basis of the study includes the principles of historicism, objectivity, and an interdisciplinary approach; the analysis of scientific publications, problem-chronological, comparative, and socio-cultural methods were used, as well as elements of discursive analysis of youth initiatives. The article systematizes the mechanisms of influence of youth organizations on public consciousness, mobilization, and self-organization, including through the coordination of student initiatives, volunteer activities, participation in protest actions, and dissemination of political information. Attention is focused on the interaction of various types of movements — student, nationalist, and pro-European integration — which facilitated the involvement of broad segments of youth in active civic participation. The dynamics of the youth movement during the critical period are analyzed, including processes of organizational structuring, radicalization of certain groups, and the formation of coordination mechanisms that allowed rapid response to societal challenges. It is argued that during the Revolution of Dignity, the youth movement became a key factor of socio-political change, influencing the formation of civic identity, patriotic consciousness, and social solidarity among young people. The role of youth organizations in the development of volunteer initiatives and preparation of young people for further active participation in public and state life, which continued during the Russo-Ukrainian war, is also highlighted. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the comprehensive analysis of the youth movement as a factor of socio-political transformations, allowing an assessment of its role in mobilization, self-organization, civic engagement, and the development of patriotic consciousness of Ukrainian youth in conditions of social crisis.