6. Decentralization, Social Cohesion and Ethno-Cultural Diversity in Ukraine’s Border Regions

A main feature of the ongoing decentralization reform in Ukraine has been the amalgamation of small local communities into larger and more viable territorial units—leading, among other things, to a mix of populations formerly living in smaller, more homogeneous local communities. This chapter examines whether issues of social cohesion, including ethno-cultural aspects, have been on the agenda when these new amalgamated territorial communities (ATCs) have been formed, and the effects of the reform on social cohesion, including relations between ethno-cultural groups, in these new entities. It is based on case studies in two very different border regions in different corners of the country, Chernivtsi and Kharkiv, both characterized by mixed ethno-cultural landscapes. We draw on Jane Jenson’s theory of the multidimensionality and axes of social cohesion, as well as on contact and conflict theories explaining how ethno-cultural diversity may affect social cohesion. In the two regions studied, economic motivations have by far outweighed ethno-cultural and other social cohesion considerations for the establishment of ATCs. Although constructing social cohesion takes time, a new sense of unity is already evident in many of the newly formed ATCs, building on enhanced local participation and practical day-to-day problem-solving, cutting across ethno-cultural divides.