National we in Ukrainian media texts in 2022: construction of identity during the anti-colonial war

Abstract

Background. National identity is a dynamic phenomenon that is discursively constructed through use of various language means, including the pronoun “we.” Perception of a nation as a political community results in usage of the national we in specific contexts, while practical use of the national we in various discourses has an impact on construction and support of the national identity.Сontribution to the research field. This research sets the parameters of discursive construction of the Ukrainian national identity represented in the media texts through use of the national we.Purpose. The purpose of this article is to analyse the use of the national we that appeared in Ukrainian media texts in the year of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. Study materials were selected from the articles published on The Ukrainian Week’s website during 2022.Methods. A descriptive method was used for this research as a part of the discourse analysis.Results. Semantic zones related to the discursive construction of the Ukrainian national identity using the national we were highlighted: 1) the need to understand one’s national identity; 2) national character (stereotypical Ukrainian); 3) physical measurement of existence of a nation (people and territories); 4) historical memory; 4) culture; 5) present; 6) future; 7) tasks to be solved for adequate existence of the nation. The important element of understanding the national uniqueness is determining one’s distinction from the enemy which, among other things, is verbalised through we — they opposition. The common past that determines the present and the future, and the tasks the Ukrainians face are mentioned more often than the other semantic zones.Discussion. In all semantic zones construction of the national we is affected by the colonial past of Ukraine and the necessity to resist the Russian imperial narratives and defend against the full-scale armed invasion of Russia. The direction for the research is to study the discursive construction of the Ukrainian national identity during ХХ–ХХІ centuries in the context of the postcolonial research trends using various language means.