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The readiness of the Ukrainian population to participate in actions of social protest (before 20-th November, 2013)

From November 9 to November 20, 2013 the Kyiv international Institute of sociology (KIIS) conducted own survey of public opinion. There were interviewed 2011 respondents living in all regions of Ukraine (including the city of Kyiv) and in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The selection is representative for the population of Ukraine aged 18 years and older.

The statistical error of selection (with probability 0.95 and at design–effect 1.5) doesn't exceed the following: 3.3% for indicators which are close to 50%, 2,8% – for indicators which are close to 25%, 2,0% – for indicators which are close to 10%, 1.4%  – close to 5%.

Assessing the protest situation should take into account that the survey was conducted before the announcement of the government's decision to suspend preparations for signing the Association Agreement between Ukraine and the European Union.

 

On the question "In which social protest actions would you be willing to participate?» it was received the following answers:

  • 56 percent - answered that they are not ready to participate in any mass protests,
  • 22 percent - couldn’t answer,
  • 22 percent - answered that they are ready to take part in social protest, in particular:
  • 13,4 percent - signatures collection for collective appeals (claims, appeals),
  • 12,3 percent - sanctioned rallies and demonstrations,
  • 4,5 percent - participation in strikes,
  • 3,4 percent - unauthorized meetings and demonstrations,
  • 2,8 percent - boycott (refusal to implement the decisions of administration, authorities),
  • 2,3 percent - threat of strike,
  • 1,7 percent -  picketing government agencies,
  • 0,6 percent - hanger strike,
  • 0,5 percent - occupation of buildings ,
  • 0,4 percent - creating independent armed forces from the government.

 

Compared with the data of similar surveys in the past the Kyiv international Institute of sociology (KIIS) after 2004 protest intentions Ukrainian eventually become weaker. When in December 2004, 36 percent of respondents expressed their willingness to participate in actions of social protest, in February 2009 - 32 percent, in February 2011 - 25 percent, and 22 percent in the middle of November 2013. Protest public actions in late November and early December give reasons to consider that at this time the level of protest readiness of Ukraine's population increased significantly and it is comparable to the level of the last months of 2004.

The level of protest intentions among citizens of Ukraine who live in the West, South, East and Center of our country is different.

 

  • The largest share of people in Ukraine which are ready to participate in actions of social protest - 28.5 percent - recorded in the Western Region. The smallest share of people which are not ready for any protests - 47.8 percent - also in the Western Region of Ukraine.
  • There isn’t statistically significant difference of percentages of respondents who reported about their protest intentions in the Central and Southern regions - of 22.2 percent and 21.4%, respectively. But the share of people who are not ready for any protests in the Central region statistically significantly lower than in the South region - 57.5 percent versus 63.8 percent.
  • The lowest level of protest intentions were recorded in the Eastern region. There only 16.7% are ready to participate at least in one form of these protests. While the share of people who are not ready for any protests in this region (52.4 percent) is statistically significant no more than in the Western part of Ukraine and not only less than in the Central and the Southern regions.

Review of the General Director of Kyiv international Institute of sociology (KIIS),Professor of Kyiv-Mohyla Academy - Vladimir Paniotto:

We finished this study the day before the performanceof N. Azarov with the actual refusal to sign the Association agreement with the EU on November 29. Therefore, recorded in the survey, the level of protest sentiments is noticeable lower than in December 2004 during the Orange revolution.

Our data are not given the opportunity to predict the massive rallies held, firstly, due to the fact that Ukraine has not developed a model which could be reliably predict social explosions, and, secondly, because we have conducted a survey of the population in a stable situation. More effective would be a study in which the questions would be asked regarding the protests against any criminal or dastardly actions, which may resist authorities. But before these actions take place, such a survey would be unacceptable from an ethical point of view.


Addition

Table 1. Distribution of answers to the question "In which social protest actions would you be willing to participate? Please indicate all appropriate answers". The answers were distributed as follows:

  Variants of answers Macro-regions Ukraine
Western Central Southern Eastern
% % % % %
signatures collection for collective appeals (claims, appeals) 14.6 10.9 15.9 12.7 13.4
sanctioned rallies and demonstrations 16.5 14.2 10.4 8.0 12.3
threat of strike 2.6 3.9 1.7 1.7 2.3
boycott (refusal to implement the decisions of administration, authorities) 5.8 2.9 2.1 0.7 2.8
unauthorized meetings and demonstrations 4.9 5.9 1.1 0.9 3.4
participation in strikes 5.8 6.4 4.0 1.4 4.5
hanger strike 2.1 0 0.2 0.2 0.6
picketing government agencies 4 0.7 1.7 0.9 1.7
occupation of buildings 2.3 0 0.2 0 0.5
creating independent armed forces from the government 0.9 0.2 0.4 0 0.4
I'm not ready to participate in any mass protests    48.8% 47.8 57.5 63.8 52.4 55.8

6.12.2013
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