| Article type | Research article |  |
| Year | 2026 | |
| Author(s) | Sargsyan H., Harutyunyan M., Khachaturyan S. | |
| Journal title | Vestnik of Russian-Armenian University (series: humanities and social sciences) | |
| Issue | 2 | |
| Pages | 94-121 | |
| Publication format | ||
| DOI | 10.24412/1829-0485-2026-2-94-121 |
ABSTRACT
Nation-building as a political process involves the production of meanings and narratives; however, the role of the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) remains underestimated in both academic and political discourse. The need to conceptualize this role is particularly acute in post-Soviet states, where nationbuilding unfolds under conditions of institutional immaturity and competing foundations of identity. Drawing on a theoretical analysis of the distinctive features of SSH, the article substantiates their significance as a resource for the formation of national identity and civic subjectivity. Institutionalization occurs through the school education system, and civic education in particular, which is examined through several models: liberal-pluralist, state-patriotic, and civilizational. Using the Republic of Armenia as a post-Soviet case study, the article demonstrates the fragmented nature of civic education – manifested in the marginalized position of social studies within the school system – and the low level of awareness among political elites regarding the inclusion of SSH in the nation-building process, as evidenced by the absence of a coherent state policy. State attempts to revise civic and national values are not systematically reflected in educational policy. The article concludes that developing a strategy for SSH education is essential for a comprehensive and sustainable nation-building process.
Keywords: nation-building, national identity, civic identity, social sciences and humanities (SSH), social studies, civic education.
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