HERMENEUTIC DIMENSION AND METHODOLOGICAL POTENTIAL OF THE "HUMAN LIBRARY" IN STRENGTHENING SOCIAL COHESION OF MULTICULTURAL COMMUNITIES

Abstract

The article is devoted to the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the hermeneutic dimension and the conceptualization of the applied potential of the innovative socio-cultural practice "Human Library" in the conditions of contemporary crisis transformations in Ukraine. The relevance of the study is driven by the urgent need to find effective communicative and action-oriented models for the integration of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and strengthening socio-cultural cohesion, particularly in the multicultural communities of the Azov region, which suffered significant destruction due to full-scale war and temporary occupation. The study applies a complex of methods, including philosophical and psychological hermeneutics phenomenological analysis of socio-cultural narratives, the theory of communicative action, and social modeling methods. As a result of the research, a comprehensive three-stage model for the functioning of the "Human Library" social practice has been developed and scientifically substantiated. In the first stage (textualization of life experience), individual narratives of IDP leaders are conceptualized as an "anthropological text," where through the reflection of retrospective, liminal, and prospective horizons, subjective trauma is transformed into reflexive socio-cultural capital. In the second stage (deployment of the hermeneutic space of dialogue), the interaction between the "Human Book" and the "Reader" is considered as a process of "active reading," leading to the "fusion of horizons of understanding," and the deconstruction of socio-cultural stereotypes under the guidance of a facilitator acting as a "hermeneutic mediator." In the third stage (praxiological social modeling), within the "Co-authors Laboratory," the transition from interpretation to collective action is substantiated, where mixed parity groups (IDPs and local residents) construct a new inclusive socio-cultural reality of the community through the development of joint integration micro-projects. It has been proven that the "Human Library," combined with project modeling, serves as an effective tool for overcoming the marginalization of IDPs, forming horizontal networks of trust, and developing inclusive local governance. Perspectives for further research are related to the empirical testing of the developed model in host communities of Ukraine and measuring the cognitive-behavioral changes of dialogue participants