Civil Society and Political Elite in the Conditions of New Challenges: Communicative and Security Dimensions

Abstract

The article considers the problem of finding a constructive model of interaction between civil society and political elites in the context of external challenges associated with today's global transformation processes. An important external context for modern societies, in particular for Ukrainian ones, is war in its diversity of content, especially the information component. The purpose of the study is a comprehensive political science analysis of the structural characteristics of civil society institutions and the political elite in terms of ensuring their communication under external threats using the example of modern wars.

The study used methods of structural-functional, conflictological and discursive analysis. The theoretical basis of the study is the concepts of civil society and political elites of Western and domestic scientists, the theory of communication and new wars.

In the course of the work, it was established that the critical limit for communication is often the rejection of it, which is associated with the gap between data and communication itself. The effectiveness of communication is undoubtedly based on the equality of participants, which is inextricably linked to democratic culture, which in conditions of danger and crisis can be violated. The key issue is the role of civil society in promoting the formation of a common political strategy within the framework of well-established communication with the ruling circles.

The results of the study allow us to assert that transparency, targeting, constructiveness and relevance to the agenda ensure the effectiveness of communication between civil society and the political elite. At the same time, in wartime, the actualization of a wide range of public issues inherent in peacetime implements the format of “communication for the sake of communication”, which is not acceptable in conditions of increased danger to society and the state.