Corruption framing and formation of action strategies: case of regional civil society organizations in Ukraine

This study analyzes how different approaches to corruption framing affect anti-corruption activities of civil society organizations (CSOs) and activists on the local level in Ukraine. The theoretical framework of this article is based on the paradigm of social constructivism, according to which the meaning of corruption can vary. On the basis of anonymous interviews with anti-corruption CSOs, we found a widespread contradiction between anti-corruption activities of CSOs and their conceptual understanding of corruption. At the same time, organizations that consider corruption as a systemic issue and adapt their activities accordingly are more effective than organizations with a narrow understanding of corruption as an individual’s issue.