Current Political Discourse Research Articles

Cross-border spaces in the perception of threats to Russia's National Security

Changes in international relations and perceptions of national security are forcing individual States to expand the contours of their own security borders. It is not uncommon for these contours to go far beyond their own borders. The purpose of the study is to determine the nature of the perception of the transformation of cross-border spaces in the system of threats to Russia's national security. The main materials of the study were socio-political discourse, in particular individual speeches of the President of Russia, the national security strategy and other normative and doctrinal documents in the field of ensuring the security of the Russian Federation. The studied narratives and comparison of statements and reactions to individual regional transformations, compared with doctrinal documents in the field of national security, allowed us to identify trigger points. In particular, in comparison of the political changes in Afghanistan, Finland and Ukraine, it was revealed that it is the value transformation at the current moment in the vision of the Russian elite that is of the greatest concern, both regionally and politically and socially. The basis of the research methodology is a systematic approach, content analysis, and a comparative approach, which made it possible to identify the dominants in the current political discourse and determine the reason for the perception of the transformation of cross-border spaces by the Russian elite in a certain way. As a result, it is determined that the change of the value paradigm is perceived as something significantly more dangerous than a military threat, as well as the expansion of NATO to the east, which is by no means perceived as an equivalent threat. In addition, the Russian elite perceives the current international system as something unfair, due to the capabilities of Western states to influence areas lying near the borders of Russia. While Russia itself does not have the opportunity to broadcast its ideas and values on territories far from its borders. Changes in the value orientation of cross-border areas lying in the border of Russia are perceived by the elite at the moment as the main national threat to the country's security.

The connotations of conceptual metaphor in the field of nature in political speech

The conceptual metaphor theorized by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson focuses on the „concepts” of everyday life. The world around us, the beings and things in the universe, offer many possibilities for metaphorization. The proper use of conceptual metaphor in political discourse presupposes an organic interweaving of the speaker’s ingenuity and imagination. In this article we will analyze the metaphors from the field of Natural Source. We will comment on metaphors focused on some primordial elements of nature (water, fire), plant metaphors (botanical) and zoomorphic ones. After examining the metaphorical structures from the field of nature, I came to the conclusion that they are very productive and that they help to fulfill the main functions of the current political discourse: conciseness, expressiveness and persuasion.

Digital Information Services Needed for a Sustainable Inland Waterway Transportation Business

Inland waterway transportation (IWT) is highly efficient in terms of greenhouse gas emissions but lacks economic competitiveness when compared to other modes of transport. Digital information services that foster efficiency and sustainability of IWT are considered important elements for improving its attractiveness and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions of the transportation sector as a whole. Therefore, this paper addresses the question of what kind of digital information services are actually needed and should be provided, e.g., by port and waterway authorities, to stimulate a modal shift in favour of IWT. Though the concept of river information services (RIS) already provides a harmonised approach to information services in the sector, the current political and scientific discourse still lacks insight into what degree the currently available information services actually meet industry needs. Equally, possibilities to provide practical recommendations are limited. Therefore, this contribution fills this knowledge gap by providing data from the field gathered through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods. After elaborating on the underlying problem as well as the current state of research and practice, we will lay out observed information-relevant challenges to business actors and their respective needs. Based on this, practical recommendations for improvements of digital services and further avenues for research are derived.

MUSLIM BROTHERHOOD IN EUROPE: BETWEEN RELIGION AND POLITICS.

The article examines the reasons that prompted the governments and expert circles of many EU countries to pay increased attention in the past two years to the activities of the Muslim Brotherhood (BM) religious and political association within the EU. According to the author, this is due not only to the terrorist attacks of Islamists in France and Austria in 2020, but also to the manifestations of the growing influence of this category of Muslim organizations and groups on the social and political life of the countries of the Old World. The article focuses on the analysis of the means, methods and mechanisms characteristic of the groupings associated with the structures of the Muslim Brotherhood in Europe, on their differences from similar organizations in the Middle East. The author turns to the history of the emergence and growth of the influence of the «brothers» in Europe in order to more thoroughly examine the phenomenon of today: while the authority and influence of the BM are noticeably falling in the Arab countries, in the Old World the situation is different for the «brothers» – in many cases they manage to hide their Islamist essence under the cover of left, «progressive» rhetoric, which allows them to fit into the current political and ideological discourse in the host countries. However, with the aggravation of intercivilizational relations in Europe, BM groups are increasingly forced to leave their traditional «hiding places», publicly claiming the status of «defenders of discredited Muslims», but in fact trying to legalize their radical views and positions. The resulting scale of their presence and influence in European societies noticeably frightens the establishment and the population of these countries. The author comes to the conclusion that at the current stage, an aggravation of the confrontation between the political elites in the EU countries and the BM structures is inevitable

Football and the self-determination process in Catalonia (2012-2021): finding gaps in the literature

The article will present the literature gaps in Political Anthropology and its relation with sport, particularly football, focusing on the Catalan secessionist process in Spain. In the self-determination process that is going on in Catalonia since 2012 - especially in independence campaigns by pro-and anti-independence organizations before the 2017 referendum - football and football fans are constant elements of the movement. In particular, the two key football clubs of Catalonia found themselves in the center of the movement, FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol. The article is interested in analyzing the degree of politicization of football, looking at the performance of these clubs in the self-determination movement. It aims at finding out the theoretical areas that lack current research in the following aspects: the politicization of football, sports identity, and emotions and political voting. This article will contribute to the understanding whether there is indeed a connection between being a football fan and having particular perceptions of supporting or not supporting a self-determination claim. Understanding that the politicization process is not necessarily unique to classical political institutions and processes, we can also track how current political discourse evolves in other settings.

Http://philjournal.ru/en/issues/Current%20Issue/?ELEMENT_ID=2177

The article explores intertexts and precedent phenomena used in current political discourse as exemplified by the speeches of President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov. As globalization marches on, an increasing number of international conferences, summits, forums is held. Political speeches garner attention of both linguists and a wider audience, as it becomes apparent that political communication can affect people and the international political agenda. Particular attention should be paid to interpreting intertexts. A combination of these factors makes this research highly relevant. The paper focuses on intertexts in political discourse, their types, and how they are interpreted simultaneously from Russian into English. The case study includes videos and scripts of public speeches delivered by President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov that can be found on the official website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, on the official website of the President of Russia, and on a video sharing service YouTube. The case study is underpinned by analytical and comparative methods. Practical implications of the present research include ways of interpreting intertexts in the booth in order to ensure successful communication.

Hashtag as a Linguocognitive Unit of Spanish Political Discourse

The article presents an analysis of the discursive features of the hashtags functioning in the current Spanish political discourse which are retrieved from Spanish government, ministries and bodies web publications dedicated to combating coronavirus infection. The purpose of the research is to understand and treat hashtags as a discursive unit in terms of theoretical linguistics, discourse theory, cognitive science and pragmalinguistics. The paper reveals significant linguo-cognitive parameters of the hashtags functioning in Spanish political communication and determines the impact of their verbal and pragmatic influence as a tool for structuring the political agenda in the interests of the sender and manipulative means influencing the consciousness and behavior of the addressee. The interdisciplinary approach is applied together with a set of systemic linguistic research methods - cognitive, pragmalinguistic, comparative, semantic, contextual and discourse analysis. The article clarifies the status of hashtags as an independent category of discourse, in other words, a unit of meaningful information that seamlessly conveys the designed content in the Internet communication, which includes political discourse. In accordance with the functional criterion, the following taxonomic classification of hashtags is substantiated: hashtags-prototypes of a situation or event, hashtags-concepts, hashtags-metaphors, hashtags-imperatives and hashtags-performatives. Key cognitive-pragmatic and linguistic characteristics of hashtags include: metatext structure, semiotic polycode, hypertextuality, interactive essence, intentionality, manipulative potential, simplified syntax, frequent use of performative and imperative verbs to intensify a call to action, emotionality, empathy, use of a language game mechanism to facilitate memorization of a key message, repetitions, rhythm.

Erasing the Nation

The story of conqueror South African historiography relies on the ebbs and flows of narrative clichés and tropes. The main narrative arcs relate to historiographies that frame the understanding and analysis of conqueror South Africa. These historiographies interpret history as forming part of an epistemological paradigm of conqueror South Africa: a historiography that does not question the ethical right to conquest. This article focuses on the interpretations of African Nationalism by proponents of the liberal and Marxist historiographic traditions and critiques the way in which these historiographies depict and characterise African Nationalism. This historical characterisation bears an influence in current political and social discourse in conqueror South Africa: African Nationalism is relegated to a misguided moment in history, something to be reflected upon from a distance, an irrelevant phase in the long walk to a multiracial and cosmopolitan South Africa.

Terror at the front gate: Insurgency in Mozambique and its implications for the SADC and South Africa

The paper, employing a qualitative research approach through the review of literature seeks to examine the increasing acts of terrorism in Mozambique's Northern Cabo Delgado region and its implications for the SADC and South Africa. Regionally, the SADC's failure to act has cast doubt on the regional body's ability to protect and support member states in times of need and has painted a bleak picture for the region's security, should the insurgency spread to other countries. For South Africa, this presents a security conundrum, not only are the country's land borders porous, but the country's intelligence services have been marred by political interference, thus questioning the country's ability to promptly respond to possible threats that may emanate from its land borders. The current political discourse in South Africa argues that should terror groups consolidate their presence in Mozambique and look to expand their operations to South Africa, The country's borders at their current state together with a politically compromised intelligence service would serve little purpose in protecting the country considering their state of disarray. The paper recommends that collective action is needed to address the on‐going insurgency in Mozambique through a SADC initiated regional framework, which is supported by member states. For South Africa, investment in border operations, policy harmonisation, and the impartiality of intelligence services are key issues that ought to be addressed to ensure that going forward, South Africa can repel any possible terror‐related incident.

The energy and carbon inequality corridor for a 1.5 °C compatible and just Europe

The call for a decent life for all within planetary limits poses a dual challenge: provide all people with the essential resources needed to live well and, collectively, not exceed the source and sink capacity of the biosphere to sustain human societies. We examine the corridor of possible distributions of household energy and carbon footprints that satisfy both minimum energy use for a decent life and available energy supply compatible with the 1.5 °C target in 2050. We estimated household energy and carbon footprints for expenditure deciles for 28 European countries in 2015 by combining data from national household budget surveys with the environmentally-extended multi-regional input–output model EXIOBASE. We found a top-to-bottom decile ratio (90:10) of 7.2 for expenditure, 3.1 for net energy and 2.6 for carbon. The lower inequality of energy and carbon footprints is largely attributable to inefficient energy and heating technologies in the lower deciles (mostly Eastern Europe). Adopting best technology across Europe would save 11 EJ of net energy annually, but increase environmental footprint inequality. With such inequality, both targets can only be met through the use of CCS, large efficiency improvements, and an extremely low minimum final energy use of 28 GJ per adult equivalent. Assuming a more realistic minimum energy use of about 55 GJ ae−1 and no CCS deployment, the 1.5 °C target can only be achieved at near full equality. We conclude that achieving both stated goals is an immense and widely underestimated challenge, the successful management of which requires far greater room for maneuver in monetary and fiscal terms than is reflected in the current European political discourse.

Internet Regulation vs. Freedom of Speech: A Cyberlaw Case Study of Section 230

Hailed as a savior of free speech while concurrently facing harsh criticism as an immunity shield for scandalous behavior and big tech, there is no denying the notoriety of Section 230. Big tech companies claim the statute is an essential building block of progress and allows for a free internet. Contrarily, both democrats and republicans want it reformed or revoked altogether yet disagree about why or how. Referencing Twitter tagging his tweets as misinformation, former President Donald Trump tweeted on various occasions about the need to repeal or revoke Section 230 — at one point claiming Twitter was “out of control.” Meanwhile, on the other side of the presidential trail, Joe Biden also called for the revocation of Section 230. Biden’s reasoning contrasted directly with Trump’s, he argued that social media ought to be held responsible when it assists users in spreading things that are not true. Trump essentially argued social media companies ought not regulate user content, whereas Biden argued they ought to regulate content more. But in both cases Section 230 was to blame. Arguments against 230 often fail to consider how they depend on the very protections also offered by the clause. This understandably spurs confusion around the topic. Yet, in a polarized society, this kind of dichotomy is all too familiar. Nonetheless, the peculiarity and prevalence of the rhetoric regarding Section 230 warrants analysis. We must not let the essential protections of the statute be victim to the whims and chaos of current political discourse. Effective and meaningful reform of Section 230, if necessary, would require clarity over misconceptions and half-truths.

Everyday bordering. Theoretical perspectives on national ‘others’ in sport and leisure time physical activity

While it is well documented that sports events can reinforce nationalism, less attention has been given to how borders are drawn to mark off groups whose national identity is questioned in connection with their everyday sports and leisure practices. This article aims to develop a conceptual framework for studying such collective identification processes that not only include some but also exclude ‘others’ from the nation. To do so, we draw on postcolonial and transnational feminist scholars’ descriptions of politics of belonging and everyday bordering that place non-western women in a position as ‘others’. The utility of such a conceptual framework is illustrated in analysing current political and public discourses about Muslim women’s sports and leisure practices that demarcate this group from belonging to the nation. Further, we discuss the contributions and limitations of this conceptual framework and point towards related perspectives that can further develop research with national ‘others’ in sport.

The scenarios for consolidation of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation based on the economic macro-regions

The subject of this research is the matters of reforming the federal structure of Russia in the aspect of unification and consolidation of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation that are under discussion in the current political discourse. The object this research is the transformation of the constituent structure of the Russian Federation based on the strategy of spatial development of Russia, federal legislative acts that laid the groundwork for the unification process, primarily the Federal Constitutional Law “On the Procedure of Admission into the Russian Federation and Creation of a New Constituent Entity". The authors explore such aspects of the topic as the results of unification processes of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation of 2003-2008, gaps in their legislative regulation, political errors and risks, including of ethnic nature, which impeded planned consolidation of the constituent structure of the Russian Federation, as well as strategy for the future unification processes. The novelty of the author's position is that the unification processes scenarios of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation are founded on the declared by the government “Strategy of Spatial Development of the Russian Federation until 2025”. The research methodology employs comprehensive interdisciplinary political, economic and legal approach. The drawn conclusions are related to the description of these scenarios, determination of the constitutional legal status of the new consolidated entity formed at the premises on an economic macroregion, considering such significant characteristics of the macroregion, as the number of constituent entities of the Russian Federation therein, size of their territories, population density, and peculiarities of the ethnic composition. It is proposed to fill the gaps in determination of the status of a constituent entity that ceased to exist as such and became a part of the consolidated entity by introducing amendments to the federal constitutional and current legislation without changing the fundamentals of the Constitution of the Russian Federation.

Science education against the rise of fascist and authoritarian movements: towards the development of a pedagogy for democracy

In the twenty-first century, the rise and support of fascism-related views threaten freedom of speech, freedom of sexual orientation, religious tolerance and progressive agendas that advocate equity. We argue that mainstream science education generally does not, but should, educate students against fascism-related views—such as racism, sexism, homophobia and religious intolerance—with a view to strengthening mutual respect and the common good. We argue some science teaching practices are found to be suitable to fascism-like ideologies (e.g. race in genetics teaching), and that the use of the concept of ‘scientific literacy’ has focused on neoliberal possessive individualism. As a consequence, mainstream science education overlooks the development of sympathy, altruism and interpersonal skills. We also discuss the activity of science education in authoritarian, undemocratic regimes in history, showing that fascist regimes have long used ‘apolitical’ scientists’ achievements to establish and expand regimes’ intolerant and violent ideologies. We use that historical relationship to argue fascism is science education’s business. Given the fear that current political discourses in many countries are again swinging towards fascism, we outline potential pathways for science education which focus on the social and emotional development of students. We argue that to develop a pedagogy for democracy, that attends to equity and social justice, it is imperative it enables pupils to develop at a psychological level with diverse others, including through their own agency. This pedagogy builds on critical pedagogies.

Transforming Preservice Teacher Perceptions of Immigrant Communities Through Digital Storytelling

Background: As diverse communities continue to be targets of racism and anti-immigrant sentiments permeate current political discourse, the need to prepare a teaching force that understands immigrant children and their families continues to be a critical priority. Purpose: This study explored the ways in which one digital storytelling project that required 20 clinical hours working with English learners (ELs) engaged preservice teachers in learning about immigrant issues. Methodology/Approach: Data in the form of critical reflections, digital storytelling video transcripts, and archival data were collected from undergraduate teacher education candidates over three semesters. Narrative data from participants were analyzed using thematic narrative analysis. Findings/Conclusions: The findings of the study are organized into themes that included enriching experience, transformed attitudes, and stories of resilience. The results showed the ways that preservice teachers’ dispositions about immigration were challenged and how much their understanding of the experiences of ELs was deepened through the experience. Implications: This study offers insight for teacher education programs and shows how experiential pedagogical tools such as digital storytelling and authentic clinical experiences can challenge existing and problematic beliefs and assumptions, helping to build a cadre of teacher advocates of immigrant children.

Парадоксы глобализации: культурфилософский анализ политико-экономической традиции изучения феномена

The relevance of research interest in the processes of globalization is due to its interdisciplinary nature. The greatest activity of the authors is concentrated in the field of political and economic discourse of globalization. At the same time, assessments of globalization vary up to the opposite, there is no unity of views, and according to the definition of the term «globalization». The solution of the questions, which processes can be understood within the framework of the concept of globalization, and which cannot, is complicated by the conviction of researchers about the paradox of globalization. In the current political and economic discourse, at least two concepts of the «paradox of globalization» coexist — John Nesbit and Denis Rodrik. The purpose of this study is to overcome the inconsistency of the research practices of globalization by turning to the cultural-philosophical reflection of the basic, inalienable properties of the European spirit, which took place in the first half of the 19th century. Based on the analysis of the research approaches of critics and supporters of the Enlightenment, G. Hegel, G. von Hardenberg (Novalis), O. Spengler, the article defines the main research positions in the interpretation of the primacy of the European spirit. Using classical philosophical methodology, the analysis of the domestic philosophical reception of these research positions is carried out. As a result of the study, the conclusion is substantiated that there is a theoretical and methodological fairway in understanding the processes of globalization, formed by the European cultural and philosophical tradition. With this approach, the paradoxes of globalization reveal a stable connection and recognizable features with the fundamental positions of the European philosophy of culture, which sees the foundations of European hegemony either in the Christian faith (Novalis) or European rationality (Hegel), which constitutes the main scientific novelty of the study, which has practical significance both for globalism and for the philosophy of culture. Globalistics acquires stable foundations, worked out in the philosophy of culture, the philosophy of culture gets access to a new «universal” — a modern multidirectional world in which cultural processes cannot be isolated from political and economic reality. The idea that the crisis of European civilization, the «decline of Europe» is associated either with the loss of faith or with the decline in the role of knowledge, needs further theoretical and methodological elaboration, also updated from the side of the modern political and economic discourse of globalization.

Right-wing feminism and the securitization of migration: on the example of the german campaign 120 Dezibel

The “summer of migration” has facilitated a right-wing narrative that depicts migration and Islam as a security threat to European society, in which gender equality and women’s rights are instrumentalized for political purposes. This political strategy, defined by Farris as femonationalism, and its effects constitute the object of this paper. For this purpose, I analyze the German campaign "120-Dezibel", which takes advantage of migrant-led sexual assaults against European women in order to promote a xenophobic immigration policy that affects the current political discourse on refugees and the ›European border regime‹. It's concluded that, by focusing only on perpetrators of foreign origin and in white European victims, far-right feminists place the origin of gender violence beyond European borders, detracting attention from the violence rooted within them, perpetuating a colonial and patriarchal mentality. Finally, that such campaigns evidence how getting involved in the feminist struggle alone is insufficient if the anti-racist struggle is ignored.

Cultural Heritage-Based Urban Festival as a Tool to Promote Local Identity and City Marketing

This paper deals with the processes of transformation of an urban festival – the Radvaň Fair in the city of Banská Bystrica, Slovakia – in a comprehensive way and from a chronological point of view. The main focus is on the development of the festival in the post-1989 (post-communist) period. The fair has been organised continuously since 1655 and went through a number of transformations. Its function has changed from a primarily commercial event of three centuries to a significant cultural and social hallmark festival in the 21st century. The key research questions concern the role of cultural heritage-based festival in identity building and city marketing, and the relationship between the festival and place (location). The paper also addresses the question of potential use/misuse of cultural heritage in current political discourse and practice.

“Are You Trying to Make Them Gay?”: Culture Wars, Anxieties about Genderplay, and the Subsequent Impacts on Youth

Using a queer theoretical lens, this conceptual paper explores the complexities of working with queer youth in leisure spaces by using genderplay to explore gender identity. Given the current social and political climate in Canada, researchers in this area face considerable professional road blocks from gatekeepers, despite providing often life-saving access for youth to queer mentors, community, and health resources. This paper, therefore, provides insight into the pervasiveness of the image of the child that informs the anxiety present in current political, social, and cultural discourses about queer children and the danger that image is putting these actual children in by limiting access to the above stated resources. Moreover, we expose how the image of the child is always invested in ideals of middle and upper-class whiteness, able-bodiedness, and imagined straightness from the outset, which further limits access to leisure spaces for queer children who may be otherwise marginalized.

Women-only swimming as a space of belonging

ABSTRACT The female Muslim body has come under close political and public scrutiny in many Western societies. Within sport, too, Muslim women’s dress and practices have become topics of discussion. For example, gender-segregated swimming sessions catering for Muslim women have caused disputes in several European countries, including Denmark. Nevertheless, the perspectives of participants are absent in such discussions and research about the significance of sports and physical activity for minority-ethnic groups is sparse. The aim of this article is to explore the meanings Danish Muslim women ascribe to their participation in a gender-segregated swimming space. Drawing on transnational feminism that foregrounds the voices of ‘othered’ women, this article presents the results of a study, in which we used participant observation and interviews with club officials and 14 Muslim women. The participants connected swimming with well-being and self-care and portrayed women-only swimming as a space of belonging, where they felt comfortable and safe and were not only protected from the male but also the ‘white’ gaze that they encountered in other situations, such as when wearing a burkini on the beach. Consequently, contestations of belonging ‘outside’ gave particular value to the women-only swimming pool as a space free from such contestations. This finding demonstrates how Muslim women’s experiences with sport and physical activity are shaped by current public and political discourses on immigration and integration in Western societies.