- Духневич, В. М. (orcid.org/0000-0003-0115-5517) (2025) Images of the future in the mirror of contemporary challenges Problems of Political Psychology, 18 (32). pp. 105-120. ISSN 2411-1449
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Abstract
Relevance. The relevance of this publication lies in the fact that under the conditions of war and profound social transformations, Ukrainian society is undergoing a rethinking of its own prospects and development opportunities. Images of the future are becoming not only individual meaning-making orientations but also an important factor of social unity, capable of determining the nation’s ability to withstand challenges and build a new system of social relations. Purpose of the study: to identify the psychological features of constructing images of the future under conditions of war and social instability, to determine age and social differences in the perception of the future, and to trace the relationship of these perceptions with processes of trust, solidarity, and social cohesion. Methods and methodology. The study is based on a qualitative paradigm using the in-depth interview method. The sample included 20 respondents of different ages and social statuses residing in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. The “snowball” method was used to recruit participants. Data analysis was carried out through thematic coding and an interpretative approach, which made it possible to identify semantic structures of future representations and their connection with social orientations and emotional states. Results. The study shows that the war is a key factor fragmenting temporal and semantic perceptions of the future. For most participants, the future loses its clear structure and temporal continuity, acquiring an emotionally charged character oscillating between hope and anxiety. A short-term perspective oriented toward survival, security, and stabilization dominates. Age differences in future images are significant and reflect different psychological strategies of adaptation to wartime conditions: 1) Youth demonstrate predominantly pragmatic–optimistic, individualized representations oriented toward personal growth, professional opportunities, and mobility. They also exhibit a high sensitivity to social injustice, a need for self-expression, and trust in innovative, digital, and European models of development. For young people, the future is primarily a space of possibilities rather than a collective project. 2) Middle-aged respondents form the most structured and collectively oriented image of the future. They associate it with the reconstruction of the state, a just social order, stability, and moral responsibility. This group is characterized by an orientation toward joint action, a balance between realism and hope, and a drive for social renewal and the maintenance of trust. 3) Older adults tend to have a retrospective vision of the future, dominated by motives of loss, pain, and memory. Their future largely represents a continuation of the past through intergenerational transmission of experience, spiritual values, and remembrance of the fallen. At the same time, they demonstrate high moral resilience and faith in victory, which has existential meaning for them. A generational gap is observed in both the duration and the content of the imagined future: youth think in short-term and individual categories, the middle-aged – collectively and strategically, the elderly – morally and retrospectively. However, a shared value core based on the ideas of freedom, dignity, peace, and victory provides a foundation for the formation of an integrative collective image of the future. The findings indicate that despite the traumatic conditions of war, Ukrainian society retains the ability to conceptualize its future through moral-patriotic and existential orientations, which serve as the basis for social cohesion. Prospects for further research include comparing regional differences and quantitatively testing the revealed tendencies.
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