Postcolonial Ethnopolitical Separatism: Conceptual-Discursive Analysis

The article is dedicated to the issue of the rise of separatist movements in the world, accompanied by an increase in the level of conflict in relations between ethnic groups in various countries. The focus of the research is on the theoretical and methodological problems of studying separatism in political science. An attempt is made to propose a new theoretical approach to the study of one type of contemporary ethnopolitical separatism characteristic of countries that have freed themselves from colonial dependence. The object of the research is separatism, while the subject of the research is postcolonial ethnopolitical separatism in divided societies. The goal is to develop a concept of postcolonial ethnopolitical separatism. The significance of conceptualizing postcolonial ethnopolitical separatism as a distinct type of separatism is demonstrated. The concept of "postcolonial" is analyzed as a definition within postcolonial studies that critique colonialism and suggest ways to combat it. The theoretical and methodological framework of the study consists of the postcolonial discourse theories of E. Said and H. Baba, along with the theories of divided societies by S. Rokkan, M. Lipset, and A. Lijphart, which help to substantiate the properties of "postcolonial" and "ethnopolitical" that define the uniqueness of this type of separatism in divided societies. The method of research is conceptual-discursive analysis (F. Oppenheim, W. Connolly). The result of the research, which determines its novelty, is the proposed postcolonial concept of ethnopolitical separatism. The conceptual structure and main features of postcolonial ethnopolitical separatism are described, the meaning of the term "postcolonial" in the semantic field of deeply divided societies is explicated, and the discursive forms of its manifestation are outlined. A methodology for applying the concept to the analysis of political practices of separatist movements in countries of the post-colonial historical period is proposed. The developed conceptual model allows for the formulation of certain principles for managing separatist conflicts in divided societies. Conclusions are drawn about the special role of ethnopolitical separatism in the formation of national states in countries that have liberated themselves from colonial dependence. The methods of applying the postcolonial concept of ethnopolitical separatism for studying the possibilities of constructing integration in deeply divided societies and overcoming accompanying conflicts are clarified.