Metaphorics and Symbolism of Political Borders in the Strategy of National-Patriotic and Civic Education in Ukraine

Abstract

Relevance. The topic of this research is the analysis of the metaphors and sym­bolism of political borders in the context of the formation of Ukrainian national and civic identity, as well as to revealing their potential for improving contempo­rary state policies and educational practices of national-patriotic upbringing. The purpose of the article is to clarify the specifics and socio-cultural dynamics of the ethno-national existence of the Ukrainian people, in particular, to determine the role of metaphors and symbols in the process of social transformation and cul­tural transformations of Ukrainian society. Methods. Particular attention is paid to clarifying the content of the concept of political borders and to the ways it is interpreted metaphorically and symbolically through the lens of philosophical an­thropology and the philosophy of education. It is demonstrated that political bor­ders, as a socio-political, cultural and anthropological phenomenon, constitute a multidimensional and multimodal concept that operates simultaneously in sev­eral modes: territorial, legal, cultural, technological, communicative and symbolic, which requires a comprehensive philosophical analysis. Novelty. The main focus is placed on the study of the perceptual modality of this concept, which makes it possible to analyze the lived experience of the deep emotional and imaginative understanding of the political border through the metaphors and symbols creat­ed by the Ukrainian people over a long period of becoming aware of their national identity. The article substantiates the thesis that the concept of political borders can be defined as a complex metaphorical and symbolic structure that shapes models of collective memory, ideas about national specificity, and ways of accu­mulating the experience of the Other. Using Slobozhanshchyna as an example, it is also shown that the activation of the concept of “öffentliche Bildung” (public education) in military-patriotic upbringing practices is of particular importance for the formation of a nationally conscious and responsible citizen. Conclusion. The article argues for the necessity of a humanistic rethinking of the symbolic and metaphorical dimension of the concept of political borders and for its inclusion in strategic policy documents in the field of forming civic and national identity. The metaphoricity of the border is presented as an effective linguo-personological communicative form that provides an emotional and cognitive basis for integrat­ing abstract knowledge with practical experience in the educational-upbringing process.