The Impact of National Identity on Conflict Behavior: Comparative Analysis of Two Ethnic Minorities in Crimea

This paper examines the process of national identity formation among ethnic minorities in the Crimea—specifically, the moderation effects of national identity building on interrelations between conflict indicators and readiness for conflict or compromise for two ethnic minorities in Crimea. Based on a survey in the Crimea, results show that national identity moderates the effects of ethnic identity, ethnocentrism, economic deprivation, and majority/minority position on individual and group conflict behavior and such effects differ between two ethnic groups, namely Russians and Crimean Tatars. For both groups the strongest moderation effect was found for ethnocentrism and ethnic identity.