ABSTRACT
This chapter analyses the role of Ukrainian diasporas in the processes of nation building and democratisation in Ukraine. In doing so, nation is understood not as a territorial entity, but rather as a symbolic space that, as David Miller and Craig Calhoun argue, makes the existence of a democracy and welfare system possible. At the same time, nation building may result in a wide range of undemocratic practices or may even lead to the emergence of undemocratic regimes. Keeping these possibilities in mind, this chapter applies an ethnographic study and examines how various diasporic communities ‘imagine’ Ukraine and how these ‘imaginings’ correspond with social and political practices. Drawing upon this data and a critical evaluation of the existing literature, this study interrogates the relative impact of four distinct modes of diasporic involvement with the homeland: (1) symbolic; (2) political; (3) organisational; and (4) procedural. The analysis reveals that diasporic actors played a crucial symbolic role, as well as being deeply involved in organisational and procedural aspects of democratic development in Ukraine. The impact of the political involvement of diasporas, however, merely resulted in the creation of several marginal parties. In addition, the analysis highlights a distinction between communities that rely more on conservative nationalism and those that try to develop more inclusive social frames. As a result, the chapter provides a nuanced picture of how diasporic national ‘imagination’ intersects with the agenda of democratisation and the way in which it is affected by the conflict with the Russian Federation.
