‘Nordicity’, ‘Imagined North’ or ‘Concept Sphere of Arctic Discourse’?

Abstract

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the Arctic is a unique northern territory of the globe, interest in which has recently increased due to geopolitical reasons, its natural resources and the cultural diversity of the peoples inhabiting it. The question of the content of the terms ‘Nordicity’, ‘imagined / imagination of the North’ in the works of foreign and Russian scientists in the humanities is raised in the article. It is revealed that these terms are associated with an ensemble of concepts and discourses united by the themes of the North and the Arctic, objectified in cultural texts: both verbal and non-verbal. The hypothesis that these terms are equivalent in content and structure to the term ‘concept sphere of discourse’, adopted in Russian linguistics is substantiated in the article. The novelty of the study is seen in the fact that the definition of the terms ‘Arctic discourse’ and ‘the concept sphere of the Arctic discourse’ is proposed. ‘The Arctic discourse’ is defined as a complex discourse representing a set of cultural texts united both by the Arctic and by a broader northern theme; its sign correlates can be various socio-cultural practices. ‘The concept sphere of Arctic discourse’ is understood as a set of concepts and images in a complex Arctic discourse dedicated to the representation of the Arctic as a geopolitical and geocultural space.