MEASURING PERCEPTIONS: APPLICATION OF THE BOGARDUS SCALE IN ASSESSING ATTITUDES TOWARDS UKRAINIANS AND RUSSIANS

Abstract

Survey analysis has long been used as a proxy to assess the sentiments of large populations in a variety of varying academic contexts and fields for the purposes of evaluating social trends and even for social commentary. More specifically, social distance analysis has proven to be an effective tool in ascertaining public levels of acceptance or rejection towards out-groups. In that vein, this study investigates public attitudes of college students in 2024 towards Ukrainian and Russian nationals in the wake of the 2022 Russia-Ukraine conflict, employing the Bogardus Social Distance Scale to assess social acceptance or rejection levels towards both groups. Indeed, in the aftermath of the outbreak of war in Ukraine, there arises a newfound urgency to evaluate contemporary US public opinion towards Ukrainians and Russians. Therefore, this paper critically examines the history of social distance literature regarding US public opinion with a special focus on Eastern Europe; likewise, it investigates the correlation of various demographic characteristics, including the age, gender, and religious affiliation of respondents, and their respective attitudes towards each ethnic out-group. Additionally, it explores regression modeling techniques to understand correlational relationships in public sentiment with party identity and ideology. The findings aim to contribute to a deeper understanding of emerging social trends and attitudes in the US in the context of current geopolitical events in Eastern Europe.