Український соціум (Jul 2020)
Change of authority and the fight against corruption in Ukraine: a view through the prism of Thomas theorem
Abstract
The article examines contemporary Ukrainian political realities, namely the coming to power following the presidential and parliamentary elections of a new political force and its prospects in the fight against corruption. The forecasting for further developments in the fight against corruption is proposed based on Thomas theorem. In particular, the author looks at the perspectives of a team of non-systemic politicians in the fight against corruption. Attention is drawn to the fact that, according to Thomas theorem, the definition of the situation as real could have taken place during the elections and voting for the non-systemic candidate and his political power. It is argued that viewers and potential voters, at the same time, transferred the image of the screen hero to a real candidate and equated them. In addition, the mechanism of determining the reality of the situation is disclosed through its own identification of a non-systemic politician with a TV series hero who fights corruption and suceeds. Consequently, the definition of the situation as real may also be inherent in the newly elected head of state and representatives of his team because of getting used to the role of anti-corruption fighters and their own values. It is noted that it is precisely around the fight of the main character and his friends with corruption in the higher echelons of power that the main storyline of the TV series “Servant of the People” unfolds. The statements of the President himself, his team members and colleagues, which confirm the intentions of the President and the newly elected authorities in general, to change the country, including in the direction of combating corruption, are given. Thus, according to the author, there are certain prerequisites for the realization of self-fulfilling prophecy. In addition, the victory of a team of non-system politicians has set some records of public support and trust. Therefore, the self-fulfilling prophecy will rely on the collective will of the Ukrainian people to change and the corresponding motivation of the newly elected government. In addition, attention is paid to the likely risks of a self-fulfilling prophecy, which includes an external threat, the resistance of internal groups such as the oligarchy and bureaucracy, personnel problems, namely the need in motivated specialists with certain moral qualities and others. The prospect of further study of the phenomenon of self-fulfilling prophecy and its impact on society in the age of information technologies is noted.
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