Probing the Personal and Social Worries of Belarusians: A Mixed Methods Study


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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to identify the worries of Belarusian citizens in the context of economic, political, cultural, and global changes. Based on data obtained from semistructured interviews in December 2024 ( N = 43, including 29 women and 14 men, aged 18 to 66 years, all were citizens of Belarus), current worries were identified, including concerns about the health of loved ones, economic instability, uncertainty about the future and the fate of children, as well as national and global threats such as migration, loss of traditions, environmental disasters, and the development of artificial intelligence. Content analysis of the participants’ responses allowed them to be structured for the next stage of quantitative analysis, limiting subjectivity in the interpretation of the wording and comparing the results across the entire sample. The results have revealed marked gender differences: women are more likely to express anxiety about socio-economic and existential issues, while men are more likely to express anxiety about cultural identity and uncertainty. Of particular importance are the cultural and linguistic situation and the identities of Belarusians at different levels, which influence the perception of threats. The authors emphasize the importance of further studying the interrelationships between worries, values and psychological health in order to understand social attitudes in the country. The article fills an existing gap in research on the worries of Belarusians and offers a systematic approach to their analysis.

About the authors

Yauheni V. Balinski

HSE University

Email: yauhenibalinski@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0000-0002-3369-5844
SPIN-code: 8616-0835

2nd year Master’s Student, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences

20 Myasnitskaya St, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation

Zarina Kh. Lepshokova

HSE University

Author for correspondence.
Email: taimiris@yandex.ru
ORCID iD: 0000-0003-3387-8242
SPIN-code: 7011-5082
Scopus Author ID: 55982417800

Ph.D. in Psychology, Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Chief Researcher of the Centre for Sociocultural Research

20 Myasnitskaya St, Moscow, 101000, Russian Federation

Kseniya S. Balinskaya

Belarusian State Economic University

Email: djuliya17lambert@gmail.com
ORCID iD: 0009-0002-1135-160X
SPIN-code: 3477-5085

MA in Economics, Researcher

26 Partizansky Prospekt, Minsk, 220070, Republic of Belarus

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