Patriotism as a social phenomenon in the scientific representation of reality:
concept and theories
Radina N.K.,
Lobachevsky Nizhny Novgorod State University; HSE University, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia , rasv@yandex.ru
elibrary_id: 417954 | ORCID: 0000-0001-8336-1044 | RESEARCHER_ID: L-6641-2015

DOI: 10.17976/jpps/2025.02.12
EDN: YHANTJ
Radina N.K. Patriotism as a social phenomenon in the scientific representation of reality: concept and theories. – Polis. Political Studies. 2025. No. 2. https://doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2025.02.12. EDN: YHANTJ
The study combines three scientific fields - psychology, sociology and political science -to analyze the features of the social phenomenon of “patriotism”. Frequently in the social sciences, patriotism is defined as feelings and actions in the interests of the Motherland. Also, in each scientific field, a number of researchers define patriotism by relying on the concept of identity. Based on the theory of social identity, psychologists create survey tools to study patriotism, mainly attitudes to the state. Sociologists, considering patriotism in the context of identity, associate it with solidarity, social stratification, trust and altruism. Political scientists are ideologically oriented; they analyze the history of concepts and also collect empirical material related to the population's attitudes to patriotism. The study analyzes two phenomena as independent from each other: to consider patriotism as a social phenomenon derived from we-identity with the function of protection, as well as the phenomenon of the politics of patriotism - from the sphere of political and ideological action. Patriotism as a social phenomenon derived from we-identity can be studied through the analysis of public solidarity, trust and public altruism, that is, through the analysis of the characteristics of society, which allows us to understand the specifics of the we-identity of the subject of patriotism. Policies of patriotism as a set of political and ideological actions involve the identification of subjects and actors who offer different interpretations of patriotism, different ideas and meanings that characterize patriotism, an analysis of the characteristics of the acceptance of different versions of patriotism by the population, channels and methods of transmitting patriotic ideas. Our findings suggest that one of the key tasks in the development of the theoretical field of patriotism as a social phenomenon is the construction of new theoretical constructs, where patriotism appears in the context of psychological health, as the acceptance of one's group without comparison with other groups, as a form of positive we-identity. As for the theoretical field of the politics of patriotism, it is necessary to integrate into a single picture what already exists in political science (to correlate different versions of the ideologies of patriotism and the subjects of promotion of these ideologies; to find out how these discursive strategies of patriotism are translated and accepted by different structures of society, etc.).
References
Dittmer, J., & Bos, D. (2019). Popular culture, geopolitics, and identity. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield.
Lorents, K. (1977). Behind the mirror: a search for a natural history of human knowledge. London: Methuen.
Madsen, E.A., Tunney, R.J., Fieldman, G., Plotkin, H.C., Dunbar, R.I.M., Richardson, J.-M., & McFarland, D. (2007). Kinship and altruism: a cross-cultural experimental study. British Journal of Psychology, 98, 339-359. https://doi.org/10.1348/000712606X129213
Schatz, R.T., Staub, E., & Lavine, H. (1999). On the varieties of national attachment: blind versus constructive patriotism. Political Psychology, 20(1), 151-174. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/0162-895X.00140
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J.C. (1979). An integrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W.G. Austin, & S. Worchel (Eds.), The Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations (pp. 33-47). Monterey: Brooks/Cole.
Almond, G.A., & Verba, S. (2010). The civic culture. Political attitudes and democracy in five nations. (Russ. ed.: Almond, G.A., Verba, S. Civic culture: an approach to the study of political culture (I). Politeia. The Journal of Political Theory, Political Philosophy and Sociology of Politics, 2, 122-144).
Burukina, O.A. (2023). Patriotism as a psychological phenomenon. Theoretical and Practical Aspects of Pedagogy and Psychology (pp. 225-233). Cheboksary: Sreda. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31483/r-107481
Gaberkorn, A.I. (2019). Concept formation of patriotism in Russian political thought. Theories and Problems of Political Studies, 8(4A), 13-23. (In Russ.)
Grigoryev, D.S. (2020). From patriotism to political totalitarianism: the role of collective narcissism. National Psychological Journal, 4, 48-60. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.11621/npj.2020.0404
Gordyakova, O.V., & Lebedev, A.N. (2017). Chuvstvo patriotizma i tipy patrioticheskogo povedeniya molodykh grazhdan Rossii [Feeling of patriotism and types of patriotic behavior of young Russian citizens]. In Psychological and Psychoanalytic Studies. Yearbook 2017 [Psikhologicheskiye i psikhoanaliticheskiye issledovaniya. Yezhegodnik 2017 ] (pp. 307-327). Moscow: Moskovskii institut psikhoanaliza. (In Russ.)
Ivchenkov, S.G., & Sayganova, E.V. (2020). Values and Their Influence on the Perception of Patriotism Among Young People. Vestnik instituta sotziologii, 11(2), 106-125. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.19181/vis.2020.11.2.643
Kasamara, V.A. (2023). Multifaceted patriotism: from concept to research on youth representations. The Journal of Sociology and Social Anthropology, 26(3), 201-233. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31119/jssa.2023.26.3.8
Khaliy, I.A. (2017). Patriotism in the Russian: typology. Sociological Studies, 2, 67-74. (In Russ.)
Koltzova, V.A., & Sosnin, V.A. (2005). Social-psychological problems of patriotism and features of its education in modern Russian society. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal, 26(4), 89-98. (In Russ.)
Kublitskaya, E.A. (2020). The phenomenon of patriotism in overcoming the crisis of Russian Identity. In The Great Victory of the Soviet People: Socio-Political and Demographic Aspects (pp. 80-104). Moscow: Ekon-Inform Publishing House. (In Russ.)
Kuhn, T.S. (2003). The structure of scientific revolutions. (Russ. ed.: Kuhn, T.S. Struktura nauchnykh revolyutsii. Moscow: AST Publishers).
Lebedev, A.N., & Gordyakova, O.V. (2016). Theoretical and methodological problems in the study of patriotism as a social feelings and socially oriented behavior. Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Social and Economic Psychology, 1(1), 23-40. (In Russ.)
Malinkin, A.N. (1999). The Concept of patriotism: an essay on the sociology of knowledge. Sociological Journal, 1-2, 87-117. (In Russ.)
Martynov, M.Yu., & Purtova, V.S. (2019). Values of patriotism and civic identity formation (based on a sociological survey in Ugra region) . Vestnik Udmurtskogo universiteta. Sotsiologiya. Politologiya. Mezhdunarodnye otnosheniya, 1, 14-19. (In Russ.)
Martynov, M.Yu., Fadeeva, L.A., & Gaberkorn, A.I. (2020). Patriotism as political discourse in contemporary Russia. Polis. Political Studies, 2, 109-121. (In Russ.). http://www.doi.org/10.17976/jpps/2020.02.08
Murashcenkova, N.V., Gritsenko, V.V., Kalinina, N.V., Konstantinov, V.V., Kulesh, E.V., Malenova, A.Yu., & Malyshev, I.V. (2023). Attitudes towards patriotism and patriotic self-identity of Russian students youth in the polarization of Russian society. Social Psychology and Society, 14(4), 68-88. (In Russ.) https:// doi.org/10.17759/sps.2023140405
Mchedlova, M.M., & Kazarinova, D.B. (2020). The identity politics: competition of new theoretical meanings and political strategies. Political Science (RU), 4, 13-35. (In Russ.) http://www.doi.org/10.31249/poln/2020.04.01
Nikiforov, G.Ya. (2022). Sociological conceptualization of patriotism from the perspective of studying the effectiveness of youth policy. Izvestiya of Saratov University. New series. Series: Sociology. Politology, 22(2), 185-188. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.18500/1818-9601-2022-22-2-185-188
Orlov, I.B. (2014). Patriotizm v istorii Rossii: gosudarstvennaya ideologiya i tsennostnyi potentsial [Patriotism in the history of Russia: state ideology and value potential]. In Gosudarstvennaya ideologiya i sovremennaya Rossiya. Materialy Vserossiiskoi nauchno-obshchestvennoi konferentsii [State Ideology and Modern Russia. Proceedings of the All-Russian Scientific and Public Conference] (pp. 107-113). Moscow: Nauka i politika. (In Russ.)
Osyanin, A.N., & Klemyatich, Yu.Yu. (2017). Scientific and cultural factors for developing patriotism in the information discourse of Russia's central mass media. Vestnik of Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod. Series: Social Sciences, 4, 151-159. (In Russ.)
Pavlov, A. (2018). Patriotism. Very brief history of the idea. Philosophical Anthropology, 4 (1), 175-191. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21146/2414-3715-2018-4-1-175-191
Parma, R.V. (2023). Patriotism of generations in modern Russian society. Humanities and Social Sciences. Bulletin of the Financial University, 13(4), 20-29. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.26794/2226-7867-2023-13-4-20-29
Popper, K.R. (1992). The logic of social sciences. (Russ. ed.: Popper, K.R. The logic of social sciences. Voprosy filosofii, 10, 65-75).
Radugin, A.A., & Radugina, O.A. (2019). Patriotism as an ideological construct and spiritual and a moral phenomenon in the spiritual process of modern society. Proceedings of Voronezh State University. Series: Philosophy, 4, 28-40. (In Russ.)
Rastorguev, S.V. (2024). Modern approaches to the concept of patriotism in scientific discourse. Vlast' (The Authority), 32(1), 96-101. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24412/2071-5358-2024-1-96-101
Rozhkova, L.V, & Salnikova, O.V (2021). Patriotism in the structure ofpolitical and protest potential of modern youth. Science. Society. State, 9 (4), 138-147. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.21685/2307-9525-2021-9-4-16
Romanova, M.O., Ivanov, A.A., Bogatyreva, N.I., Terskova, M.A., Bykov, A.O., & Ankushev, V.V. (2022). Collective Narcissism scale adaptation on a Russian sample. Social Psychology and Society, 13(3), 201-220. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17759/sps.2022130312
Sanginov, K.Kh. (2021). Patriotism as a political ideology in the structure of modern political consciousness. Management Issues, 2, 6-15. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.22394/2304-3369-2021-2-6-15
Selezneva, A.V. (2017). Patriotism as a political value: political-psychological analysis. Tomsk State University Journal of Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science, 38, 200-208. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17223/1998863X/38/20
Semenov, V.E. (2017). Russian identity and patriotism in the polymental society. Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Social and Economic Psychology, 2(3), 116-142. (In Russ.)
Sikevich, Z.V., & Fedorova, A.A. (2021). Boundaries of Russian patriotism (the case of non-reactive classical research). Sociological Studies, 6, 134-146. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31857/S013216250014126-1
Skopa, V.A. (2021). Patriotism as an intersubjective phenomenon in social and philosophical discourse. Sovremennaya nauka: aktual'nye problemy teorii i praktiki, 2, 96-100. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.37882/2500-3682.2021.08.20
Sosnin, V.A. (2009). Once more about the problem of patriotism: content and main functions, characteristics of its education and security of modern Russian society. Informatsionnye voiny, 2, 90-99. (In Russ.)
Sosnin, V.A., & Kovaleva, Yu.V. (2018). Patriotizm kak kharakteristika lichnosti i bol'shikh sotsial'nykh grupp v usloviyakh sovremennogo geopoliticheskogo protivostoyaniya [Patriotism as a characteristic of individuals and large social groups in the context of modern geopolitical confrontation]. In Dukhovno-nravstvennye problemy sovremennoi lichnosti [Spiritual and Moral Problems of Modern Personality] (pp. 165-180). Moscow: Publishing House of the Institute of Psychology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. (In Russ.).
Tereshonok, T.A. (2020). Polyparadigmality of understanding patriotism in modern scientific knowledge. Sotsial'naya politika i sotsiologiya, 19(4), 188-195. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.17922/2071-3665-2020-19-4-188-195
Titov, V.V. (2023). Patriotism in the structure of national-state identity of Russian youth. Obshchestvo: politika, ekonomika, pravo, 11, 50-55. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.24158/pep.2023.11.5
Tsvetkova, I.V. (2014). Generational variations in patriotic values dynamics (city Togliatti's case). Sociological Studies, 3, 45-50. (In Russ.)
Vasileva, S.V., & Miklyaeva, A.V. (2023). Constructive patriotism questionnaire (adolescent version): Psychometric characteristics. Psychology in Education, 5(3), 458-472. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.33910/2686-9527-2023-5-3-458-472
Yurevich, A.V. (2003). Structure of psychological theories. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal, 24 (1), 5-13. (In Russ.).
Yurevich, A.V. (2016). Psychological aspects of patriotism. Prikladnaya yuridicheskaya psikhologiya, 1, 5-21. (In Russ.)
Zavershinskii, K.F. (2020). “Patriotism of the elites” as a discursive dimension of symbolic structures of national memory. Power and Elites, 7(2), 77-96. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.31119/pe.2020.7.2.4
Zherebin, V.M. (2012). Social capital, patriotism and nation passionarity. Proceedings of the Voronezh State University of Engineering Technologies, 2, 168-174. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.20914/2310-1202-2012-2-168-174
Zhuravlev, A.L., & Yurevich, A.V. (2016). Patriotism as an object of study of psychological research. Psikhologicheskii zhurnal, 37(3), 88-98. (In Russ.)
See also:
Martynov M.Yu., Fadeyeva L.A., Gaberkorn A.I.,
Patriotism as Political Discourse in Contemporary Russia. – Polis. Political Studies. 2020. No2
Puzanova Zh.V., Narbut N.P., Larina T.I., Antonova L.A.,
Contexts of Intercultural Interaction in the High School. – Polis. Political Studies. 2018. No4
Zavershinsky K.F.,
Cognitive Foundations of Political Culture: an Essay of Methodological Reflection.. – Polis. Political Studies. 2002. No3
Kertman G.L.,
Catastrophism in the Context of Russian Political Culture. – Polis. Political Studies. 2000. No4
Tkhagapsoyev Kh.G.,
In search of a new methodological paradigm in political science: the identity approach. – Polis. Political Studies. 2013. No4