Georgian National Identity: Conflict And Integration

Abstract

National identity, as one of the collective identities, has long been the subject of special attention and research, notably in the West, as well as in Eastern Europe. The academic community and the political elite in Georgia have been discussing national identity for many years; nevertheless, an empirical study covering the popular discourses has not yet been conducted relating to contemporary Georgia. The present work is one of the first steps in discerning the Georgian reality. In order to study the factors defining national identity and the basic values of society, this work has utilized data from the 2013 population representative “National Identity” survey from ISSP (International Social Survey Programme) as well as interviews with the Georgian population and public opinion makers. The research objective is to define markers of Georgian national identity, also to reveal both the values that unite Georgian society and the distinctions that cause conflicts. The aim of this research is to reveal the appearance of modern Georgian society based around the key aspects of Georgian national identity.