Emotionality and Intertextuality in Official Discourses of Post-Soviet Authoritanian States (Kazakhstan, Belarus, and Russia)

Abstract

Official discourses of Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia are discovered with formal analysis in the article. The official discourses were represented with presidents’ web-sites. With the help of computer programs (Python language) the indicators of emotionality, direct and indirect intertextuality were calculated. The low emotionality and direct intertextuality are characteristic features of all three discourses. This underlines low intensity (or formality) of political interrelations. Average indicators of Kazakhstan and Russia discourses emotionality are (0,26; 0,24), for Belarus (0,39). These indicators are almost two times smaller, than in countries with more democratic regimes. Additionally, two types of authoritarian discourses are differentiated: more emotional and sporadic (Belarus) and less emotional stable (Kazakhstan, Russia). The positive correlation between the discourses of Kazakhstan and Russia (0,84) is discovered. Thus, similar periods of the discourses development are found: with more salient emotionality (before 2013) and unemotional period afterwards. For Belarus and Russia the periods with high indicators for indirect intertextuality (2012-2014, 2016-2017; and 2005-2010 – respectively) are discovered. The indicators’ values are explained with political interrelations imitation. The big amount of political texts (more than a half, sometimes – 80-90%) are congratulations and commemorations of authoritative leaders towards political actors’ form international community. The small period of such texts domination for Kazakhstan (2011-2012) is differentiated. Thus, the imitation of political interrelations with communication for Russia and Belarus is studied; however, this feature is not a characteristic one for Kazakhstan discourse. It’s concluded that all three discourses have artificial character of political interrelations in official discourses, which can be discovered with clear templates usage for all the political texts.