ETHNO NATIONALISM IN THE FORMER SOVIET-UN ION

The major changes experienced in Central Asia and the Caucasus bring a bout the need for formulating,giving thought to and reacting to politi cal problems within new symbolic boundaries. The decisive factors for the creation of ideology are not only sociological and psychological,b ut also cultural - they target concepts and symbols inherent in ethnic culture. It is being concluded that the new ideology of ethnic nation alism locks parties to conflict away in an ''intellectual prison'' whe re their sense of reality is greatly impaired and they are unable to c onsider the situation in a realistic manner.