Features Of National Identity Research Articles

Theoretical foundations of public administration in the sphere of formation of national identity

Theoretical foundations of public administration in the sphere of formation of national identity

НАЦІОНАЛЬНА ІДЕНТИЧНІСТЬ ЯК УМОВА ЗБЕРЕЖЕННЯ ТА ЗМІЦНЕННЯ ДЕРЖАВНОГО СУВЕРЕНІТЕТУ

The article points out the importance of the study of national identity since the constant development of a sovereign state depends on it. Different approaches to the definition of the concept of «national identity» as a form of collective identity are defined. The problems of modern research are hilighted. It is noted that the subject of the study is the content of the concept of "national identity"; features of this identity and its place among other collective identities; dependence of the solidarity of fellow citizens on national identity; the impact of the effectiveness of public administration on the formation of national identity. The article stressess that national identity is changing and may experience a crisis. One of these factors, which leads to a change in national identity, is globalization. The scientists’ interest in the problem of the formation of national identity is due to different circumstances in different countries. The article shows the peculiarity of the formation of national identity in democratic and non-democratic states. Examples of the formation of state identity in authoritarian states are given. The features of national identity and political nation and the connection of the processes of their formation are considered. Attention is paid to the factors influencing the national identity, *problems of the formation of Ukrainian identity. It is indicated that during the information war, the state must form a culture of critical perception of information, its analysis. The absence of such a culture leads to insecurity due to manipulative influences, the spread of Russian narratives. Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine in 2022 accelerated the processes of national identification of Ukrainians and consolidation. This is confirmed by the results of sociological studies. The loss of national identity leads to the destruction of values, disintegration of society. An indicator of the success of the formation of national identity is patriotism and the stability of society in the struggle for the state sovereignty. The development of national identity and political nation in modern Ukraine is one of the main conditions for maintaining and strengthening state sovereignty. Key words: identity, national identity, national self-awareness, political nation, state sovereignty

Problems and prospects of the development of Ukrainian art (realities of martial law)

This article examines the problems of Ukrainian artistic space that emerged as a result of the Russian-Ukrainian war, and the prospects for its development in the future. The purpose of this research work is to thoroughly investigate the ways of development of Ukrainian art in the realities of wartime and the formation of new features of national identity in the European cultural space. Also, the author has defined the purpose of studying the most widespread artistic trends in Ukraine in order to define their problems and study their perspectives in the Ukrainian and world artistic space. The methodological approach of this research consists in searching and analysis of the overwhelming majority of sources of Ukrainian origin, aimed at studying the artistic cultural space of Ukraine during the war. The methods used in the article were historical and logical analysis, synchronic analysis, as well as descriptive methods to study the issues of problems and prospects of the development of art in Ukraine. As a result, the main problems of Ukrainian art were analyzed and the tendencies of its development in the realities of war were determined.

National identity and regional features of expressionism in the context of artistic and stylistic features of Ukrainian painting of the first third of the twentieth century

The article considers the problem of national specificity of expressionism in Ukrainian painting of the first third of the XX century. In this regard, the works of leading representatives of this trend in Ukrainian avant-garde painting are analyzed. The issue of regional features of expressionism in the context of artistic and stylistic features of Ukrainian painting of the first third of the twentieth century is also raised. Based on the analysis of paintings, it was determined that Western Ukrainian artists often used the synthesis of secession (often borrowed while studying at the Krakiw or Munich academies of arts) and expressionism. At the same time, it was found that Central and Eastern Ukraine develop expressionism in combination with cubism, abstractionism, constructivism. The article also reveals the features of national identity, invariably present in the works of Ukrainian expressionists, extended to the powerful dynamics of lines, color contrasts, tonal vibrations. Thematic diversity of works by O. Novakivsky, S. Hordynsky, V. Lasovsky, V. Khmelyuk, O. Hryshchenko and others covers images of the people, various states of nature, still life, landscape, portrait. It is proved that Ukrainian representatives of expressionism, enriching their own painting culture and basic professional qualities in leading European art schools, developed the problem of color, combined the latest formal experiments on plastic form and the identity of national traditions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN KAZAKHSTAN

This study intends to explore the salience of national identity for young people from the perspective of ‘commitment and loyalty’ to their nation. The uniqueness of this study is that it provides the opportunity to observe the salience of civic, ethnic, and cultural features of national identity in Kazakhstan. This article has examined the importance of national identity theoretically and critically reviewed the literature on this theme. For the case study, a small survey was conducted in order to evaluate the salience of membership to national identity among young students. An academic implication of this research entails further research on the salience of belonging and sense of attachment to national identity among young people in other cosmopolitan cities of Kazakhstan, such as Almaty, Astana, and Atyrau, where the effect of globalisation is more prevalent and the Kazakh customs and traditions less noticeable in order to make a comparative evaluation. In this context, this research will consider the importance of national identity for young individuals by analysing the theories on nations and nationalism, specifically emphasising the relation between individuals and their nations. This will then be complemented by a primary source in the form of a short survey on the subject of national identity, which will be carried out among students of the Kazakh-Turkish International University in Turkestan, Kazakhstan. Subsequently, the findings will be evaluated and discussed to address the research question. Finally, the results of the survey will be summarised in the conclusion.

NATIONAL IDENTITY IN THE ERA OF GLOBALIZATION

Abstract 
 Background. The problem of national identity became relevant in connection with the development of an independent, sovereign Ukrainian state. The verbalized concept of «identity» is understood in broad historical and geopolitical contexts, projecting conclusions on public policy, socio-economic situation, national and cultural processes in society. The linguo-cognitive meaning of the term «national identity2, used in scientific and literary texts, needs to be studied.
 Purpose. To analyze the lexical semantics of the word identity in the modern Ukrainian literary language, to identify features of its interpretation in lexicographic sources, to trace the functioning of the phrase national identity in scientific texts and to outline the specifics of verbalization of «identity», «mentality» in the literary text.
 Methods. The study uses a method of comparative analysis of dictionary interpretations of register words identical, identity to substantiate the stylistic marker book (word) in modern Ukrainian literary language, as well as contextual – interpretive method for structuring the meaning of the term national identity, identifying features of verbalization in scientific and literary texts.
 Results. The verbalized term «identity» common in the modern humanities, in particular its semantic structure, needs to be clarified in the context of terminological meaning in relation to the representatives of the nation, national culture, i.e. national identity. Dictionaries of foreign words published at different times, explanatory dictionaries of the modern Ukrainian language do not fix the terminological meaning of the lexical item identity, semantically related to the concept of «nation». A characteristic feature of identity involves a logical process of conferring, comparing of objects, phenomena, concepts and identifying a common feature – the same, identical content, as evidenced by the phrases given in dictionaries. In contrast to the illustrations recorded in lexicographical sources, the phrase national identity actualized in modern literary language indicates a higher degree of abstraction: the feature represents the synthesis of common (indicating common features inherent in a certain nation) and different (seme of opposition to other nations with their identical features). Modern scientific texts in the humanities expand the combination of words identical, identity that form new phrases, acquiring a new terminological meaning in the system of concepts of history, philosophy, political science, sociology, culturology, linguistics.
 Synonymization of the words nation, ethnos in modern scientific and journalistic discourse has led to the parallel use of the phrases national identity and ethnic identity that identify the meaning of the lexical items nation, ethnos. Studiers often include the following concepts in the differential features of national identity: territory, religion, language. However, their assessment and identification role in relation to the integrity of the Ukrainian nation is defined differently. In discussions about the modern Ukrainian nation, the concepts of national (state), ethnic, historical, territorial, linguistic, cultural identity are distinguished. The concept of national identity is related to the linguo-pragmatic meaning of the term mentality, interpreted differently in scientific and literary contexts. The Ukrainian literary language has historically formed a word-forming series that combines words with the component SELF: self-consciousness, self-identification, identity, self-sufficiency, self-discovery, self-realization, self-affirmation, self-understanding, self-realization, self-correction, self-preservation, self-determination, self-humiliation, self-identity. The logical and psychological meaning of these nominations is correlated with the terms national identity, mentality.
 Discussion. The formation of an independent state has actualized the theme of national identity in the context of modern globalization. Linguistic analysis (lexical-semantic, linguo-cognitive) is supplemented by a contextual interpretation of the content of the terminological concept of «national identity». In scientific (historical, culturological, ethnological) texts the interpretation of varieties of identity with the focus on the concepts of «national» and «ethnic» identity is traced. The conclusion about the historical variability of the category of national identity is made. The authors of modern historical studies connect the phenomenon of national identity with the creation of the modern Ukrainian nation. 
 Comparison of scientific and artistic interpretation of the concept of national identity opens the prospect of studying the types of identities and linguo-cognitive structuring of each of them.

«Дух русской культуры» в современном музыкальном искусстве

The article examines the process observed in Russian national culture associated with the implementation of Russian national images and characteristic features of the Russian worldview in the modern musical space. Russian musical culture, which previously followed the features of national identity in almost everything, is now more inclined towards a cosmopolitan point of view. If in the European regions of Russia this tendency can be traced more clearly, let us turn our attention to the musical culture of Siberia, which, as you know, “the wealth of Russia will grow”. Let us dwell on the work of one of the modern young Siberian composers, whose work confirms the promising nature of the "Russian spirit" in the modern cultural space.

The Loss of the Native Language and Post-Imperial Narratives

Abstract: This article addresses the issue of language in colonial and post-colonial contexts and its role in delineating authentic features of national identity. The first part tackles African and Irish theorists such as Ngugi wa Thiong’o and Douglas Hyde whose views of clinging to the native tongue promote the politics of an essentialist identity. According to them, the loss of the native language brings about feelings of inferiority and estrangement which serve only to empower the colonizer. The article, then, proceeds to more tolerant writers who believe in the colonizer’s share in the making of the present of the colonized and favor hybrid identities. For them, it is impossible to reduce the polyvocality of the moment into the too-familiar, too-reassuring fictions of the old days. Finally, this work focuses on the Irish context through Yeats and Joyce who radically transform the idea of the nation theorizing for style as an agent of redemption from colonial artistic and political confines. Their cosmopolitan techniques allow the breakthrough of a new context, a post-imperial writing. The loss of the native language, therefore, opens alternative artistic paths to experiment with the language of the colonizer fostering a modern, cosmopolitan and continuously changing “national” identity. Keywords: National identity, native language, essentialist, hybrid, experimentation, post-imperial

National identity and democracy: Effects of non‐voluntarism on formal democracy

AbstractIn this article, I explore whether, and if so how, national identity affects the level of formal democracy in a country. I theorize and then investigate four assumptions: (i) classical nationalist stances hold that national membership depends on the accident of origin and cultural markers learned by early socialization. This non‐voluntary identity gives human beings a natural sense of belonging in society and fosters solidarity and trust that lead to better democracy; (ii) drawing on ideas about core values of ideal democracy the non‐voluntarist national identity exhibits an inherent contradiction between in‐group bias and intrinsic equality, which leads to lower levels of democracy; (iii) homogeneity in belief about what constitutes national belonging eases the dynamics between majority and minority, which benefits democracy; (iv) the presence of an in‐group identity, understood as a shared fellow‐feeling, boosts trust and solidarity and thereby benefits democracy. Individual‐level data about national identity comes from International Social Survey Programme (ISSP, 2013). Data about democracy comes from Varieties of Democracy (Coppedge et al., 2021; Pemstein et al., 2021). Results indicate that higher levels of non‐voluntarist features of national identity are strongly negatively correlated with levels of democracy and heterogeneity in beliefs about what constitutes national belonging relating to a higher level of liberal democracy.

The Role of Actual Democracy in the Link between National Identity and Support for Democracy

Abstract This article analyzes the interplay between national identity and democracy. Multilevel models were tested using European Value Survey (EVS 2017), which includes 30 countries in total. On the individual level, emphasis on non-voluntary features of national identity, where national membership depends on the accident of origin, relates to lower support for democracy. At the country level, the level of actual democracy was taken in to account (Varieties of Democracy 2017). In general, higher levels of actual democracy correlate with stronger support for the ideal democracy, yet, a high level of actual democracy amplifies the negative relationship between non-voluntary national identity and support for democracy.

The rhetoric and reality of human rights education: policy frameworks and teacher perspectives

ABSTRACT A multicultural society that equates Christian and humanist values with human rights denies pluralism, placing human rights culture at risk. We examine Norwegian education policy discourses, noting human rights as a key feature of national identity, said to underpin schooling. Education policy maintains distinctions between those who embody national values and migrant others who need to learn them. We analyse the human rights-related competences students are expected to have on completing 10th grade, examining social studies and religious education curricula and teacher interview data. We consider whether the curriculum supports transformative human rights education (HRE), empowering learners to defend others’ rights and build solidarity across difference. Data suggest that HRE is frequently implicit, restricted, and dependent on teachers’ individual perceptions of rights. Teachers may lack legal knowledge and are unsure how to tackle everyday injustice or racism. We recommend education policy explicitly address shared HRE principles and recognize racial injustice.

Conceptualization of National Identity in International Media: Case-study of The Economist Publications

National identity, an ever-important concept, today is arguably more verbalized and publicized than at any other time in history. Its media representation both reveals people’s understanding of the idea and serves as a medium of shaping the identity itself, being a powerful tool in the hands of political elites. At the same time in a quest of providing the target audience with a balanced and acceptable view of the reality, global media seek to express their own distinguishable stance. The Economist , a British based global media outlet, is an example of these processes. Value of the events covered lies both in their newsworthiness, and the outer sentiment of journalists that is conveyed to readers. Overall, discourse analysis of media texts may reveal a lot about conceptualization of certain phenomena. And this research of empirical data has identified main conceptual fields and blocks that make up our understanding of what it takes to identify oneself as one nation. Looking into discursive construction of national identity means distinguishing national identity from similar and related concepts and evaluating its role in the processes that take place in the world today. National identity is a complex phenomenon that lies at the core of collective and personal identity alike. For groups of people, nations, it represents an in-group that is — counterintuitively — artificial and illusionary and comes from a natural human desire for the sense of belonging. However, the resulting national identity functions on its own as a symbol of a state. Thus territory, location of a state on the world map, is one of the key features of national identity. Contested national borders and challenged sovereignty made up a majority of national identity issues covered in the analyzed materials of The Economist . There are multiple factors that influence national identity, politics being one of its major drivers. Research shows that it works mostly at the level of national politics and occurs mostly in the context of elections and partisanship. Another significant factor that brings national identity into the spotlight of media is transformation or retention of the status quo. Identity is neither innate nor permanent, and constant fluctuations, push and pull of arising, re-established and defended identities attracts readers attention and provide a venue for manipulating public opinion. Bearing in mind the limitations of this research we describe and suggest an interpretation for the main conceptual fields and contexts national identity is present in the media.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN KAZAKHSTAN

This study intends to explore the salience of national identity for young people from the perspective of ‘commitment and loyalty’ to their nation. The uniqueness of this study is that it provides the opportunity to observe the salience of civic, ethnic, and cultural features of national identity in Kazakhstan.This article has examined the importance of national identity theoretically and critically reviewed the literature on this theme. For the case study, a small survey was conducted in order to evaluate the role of inclusion in shaping national identity among young students.An academic implication of this research entails further research on the salience of belonging and sense of attachment to national identity among young people in other cosmopolitan cities of Kazakhstan, such as Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Atyrau, where the effect of globalisation is more prevalent and the Kazakh customs and traditions less noticeable in order to make a comparative evaluation.In this context, the authors consider the importance of national identity for young individuals by analysing the theories on nations and nationalism, specifically emphasising the relation between individuals and their nations. Analysis is complemented by a short survey on the subject of national identity, which was carried out among students of the Kazakh-Turkish International University in Turkistan, Kazakhstan.

THE IMPORTANCE OF NATIONAL IDENTITY AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE IN KAZAKHSTAN

This study intends to explore the salience of national identity for young people from the perspective of ‘commitment and loyalty’ to their nation. The uniqueness of this study is that it provides the opportunity to observe the salience of civic, ethnic, and cultural features of national identity in Kazakhstan. This article has examined the importance of national identity theoretically and critically reviewed the literature on this theme. For the case study, a small survey was conducted in order to evaluate the role of inclusion in shaping national identity among young students. An academic implication of this research entails further research on the salience of belonging and sense of attachment to national identity among young people in other cosmopolitan cities of Kazakhstan, such as Almaty, Nur-Sultan and Atyrau, where the effect of globalisation is more prevalent and the Kazakh customs and traditions less noticeable in order to make a comparative evaluation. In this context, the authors consider the importance of national identity for young individuals by analysing the theories on nations and nationalism, specifically emphasising the relation between individuals and their nations. Analysis is complemented by a short survey on the subject of national identity, which was carried out among students of the Kazakh-Turkish International University in Turkistan, Kazakhstan.

Transformation of National Identity, Geo-politics and Nation Building in Post-colonial African States: The Cases of Cameroon and Senegal

This article examines the evolving nature of national identity and its significance to geo-politics and nation-building in post-colonial African states, specifically Cameroon and Senegal. Within the current global context, previous theories and scholars failed to explain how recent changes in national identity inform the choice of geo-politics in post-colonial Cameroon and Senegal. It is against this backdrop that this article examines the extent to which changes in elite and public perception on national identity transcended national borders and spilled over to the geo-political landscape. The paper relied on a mixed-method research design that combines elements of qualitative and quantitative techniques. The mixed-method approach is anchored on comparative case study techniques. The data were largely drawn from both primary and secondary sources; the primary sources included semi-structured interviews, and public statements, while the secondary sources comprised educational curriculums, Afrobarometer, World Bank data and the Swiss Economic Globalization Index. The outcome of the analysis showed that in recent years changes in national identity have transcended national borders and spilled over to the geo-political landscape. Findings revealed the extent to which the underlying features of national identity have been indigenized, Africanized and globalized to symbolize what it means to be a Cameroonian and Senegalese Citizen. Comparatively, it was established that Senegal has assumed a more dynamic image and position in geo-politics than Cameroon. Nonetheless, Cameroon’s and Senegal’s recent dynamic and versatile image accounts for the new type of national identity theorized in this paper as a form of strategic identity. The paper also highlighted the challenges and significance of strategic identity to issues of growth, nation and peace-building.

«ИЗНАНКА ГОРОДА»: МАРГИНАЛЬНЫЕ ЛАНДШАФТЫ И СОВРЕМЕННАЯ ВИЗУАЛЬНАЯ КУЛЬТУРА

The topic of people thrown to the sidelines of life is considered in a double frame—in the context of the way the urban space is arranged and in the context of modern visual culture (feature films, video and photo blogs, videos on popular YouTube channels). The most hyped-up type of marginal landscape in modern media is slums. The otherness of such spaces has always been a subject of interest and curiosity, for “gazing”—interpretation, perception and entertainment. In modern mass culture, the “location” of the global south slums is especially trendy. In such exterior, hyper-popular feature films such as Slumdog Millionaire have been shot, causing a new cultural phenomenon—mass slum tourism. This phenomenon seems to be ambiguous from an ethical point of view; but from the point of view of visual culture, it is voyeurism brought to the level of an art and everyday life practice. The second type of marginal urban landscapes is local “invasion” into the decent and institutionalized city space. This art form serves as a “location” for a psychological drama of superfluous people. Features of national identity are most clearly manifested on its seamy side rather than anywhere else. Japanese townships of the homeless, incorporated into central and well-to-do areas, are no strangers to order and aesthetics; while Russian realities—chaos, departure from norms and underground—are completely opposite. Classic films devoted to this issue—Dodes’ka-den by Akira Kurasawa, Promised Heaven by Eldar Ryazanov, The Lady in the Van by Nicholas Hytner—model these seamy spaces and their peculiarities inherent in national culture. Very popular now are YouTube channels about the life of homeless people, which show real characters in their real habitats, introducing marginal spaces into the rank of a hot-topic visual culture. This type of visualization provokes another cultural phenomenon— the perception of marginal loci and their inhabitants as an interactive performance. Interactivity can vary from attacking to fraternization, from preaching to charity. Odd as it may seem, hyper-visualization and aestheticization of social ulcers contributes to their social invisibility. It is a problem, which no one is going to solve anymore; it has become a part of modern culture with its own philosophical and aesthetic arguments—and in a certain sense they act as its justification.

«ИЗНАНКА ГОРОДА»: МАРГИНАЛЬНЫЕ ЛАНДШАФТЫ И СОВРЕМЕННАЯ ВИЗУАЛЬНАЯ КУЛЬТУРА

The topic of people thrown to the sidelines of life is considered in a double frame—in the context of the way the urban space is arranged and in the context of modern visual culture (feature films, video and photo blogs, videos on popular YouTube channels). The most hyped-up type of marginal landscape in modern media is slums. The otherness of such spaces has always been a subject of interest and curiosity, for “gazing”—interpretation, perception and entertainment. In modern mass culture, the “location” of the global south slums is especially trendy. In such exterior, hyper-popular feature films such as Slumdog Millionaire have been shot, causing a new cultural phenomenon—mass slum tourism. This phenomenon seems to be ambiguous from an ethical point of view; but from the point of view of visual culture, it is voyeurism brought to the level of an art and everyday life practice. The second type of marginal urban landscapes is local “invasion” into the decent and institutionalized city space. This art form serves as a “location” for a psychological drama of superfluous people. Features of national identity are most clearly manifested on its seamy side rather than anywhere else. Japanese townships of the homeless, incorporated into central and well-to-do areas, are no strangers to order and aesthetics; while Russian realities—chaos, departure from norms and underground—are completely opposite. Classic films devoted to this issue—Dodes’ka-den by Akira Kurasawa, Promised Heaven by Eldar Ryazanov, The Lady in the Van by Nicholas Hytner—model these seamy spaces and their peculiarities inherent in national culture. Very popular now are YouTube channels about the life of homeless people, which show real characters in their real habitats, introducing marginal spaces into the rank of a hot-topic visual culture. This type of visualization provokes another cultural phenomenon— the perception of marginal loci and their inhabitants as an interactive performance. Interactivity can vary from attacking to fraternization, from preaching to charity. Odd as it may seem, hyper-visualization and aestheticization of social ulcers contributes to their social invisibility. It is a problem, which no one is going to solve anymore; it has become a part of modern culture with its own philosophical and aesthetic arguments—and in a certain sense they act as its justification.

LINGUODIDACTIC FOUNDATIONS OF FORMING THE LINGUISTIC PERSONALITY OF A FUTURE TEACHER OF THE PRIMARY SCHOOL IN THE PROCESS OF THE SYNTAX OF A COMPLEX SENTENCE

In the article the theoretical study of the formation linguistic personality of the future teacher of the primary school in the process of teaching Ukrainian syntax and compound sentence of Ukrainian language; the essence of the notions linguistic personality of the future teacher of the primary school is determined and syntactical competence; elements of methodology are described formation linguistic personality of the future teacher of the primary school. The authors of scientific research see that the teaching of syntax is carried out using a text-centric approach, which is implemented through a developed system of exercises, in which texts illustrate the cultural heritage of the Ukrainian people, its traditions, features of national identity, etc. occupy a prominent place. The lingvodidactic conditions for the formation linguistic personality of the future teacher of the primary school in the process teaching syntax of compound sentence are determined, the result of the formation depends on the usage effective forms, methods, techniques, the criteria are determined. Emphasis is placed on the levels of language personality formation (verbal–grammatical, cognitive, pragmatic). The essence of the proposed technique is to create a system of exercises and tasks (analytical, reproductive, constructive productive and creative character), to realize the textocentric approach to the formation of syntactic skills in the process of mastering phrases, simple and complex sentences. It is noted that the verbal-grammatical criterion reflects the ability of the linguistic person to build structural and justifiable syntactic structures depending on their semantic load, to correctly identify sentences, determine their stylistic functions; сognitive-realized as a skill of linguistic personality to generate, understand and perceive speech expressions depending on their formal syntactic and semantic structure, reproducing them with a holistic language picture of the world against socio-cultural processes, taking into account their own national identity; Pragmatic - indicates the skill of the linguistic person communicative-justifiable to use syntactic structures in accordance with a specific speech situation, depending on the communicative intention and purpose of communication.

Influence of the multicultural environment of a Russian university on the language training of foreign students

The relevance of the study is due to the fact that in terms of the development of academic mobility processes, it is necessary to develop linguo-cultural content that reflects the need-motivational sphere of foreign students, as well as the implementation of the developed content, taking into account the multiculturalism of Russian universities. Besides, it is recognized that in the multicultural university environment, a foreign language culture for a foreign student acts in two ways: as a culture of the target language country, on the one hand, and as a culture of the educational environment of a Russian university, on the other hand. The empirical part of the study was carried out on a sample of 42 foreign students from Russian universities. Students were interviewed through a questionnaire to identify as follows: the attitude of foreign students towards the discovery of Russian culture and learning the Russian language; difficulties in learning the Russian language; their awareness of the qualities that characterize personal effectiveness of language training. It was revealed that foreign students recognized the wealth and beauty (42.9%), the uniqueness of the Russian language and culture (38.1%), the importance of the Russian language as a means of intercultural communication (23.8%). The absolute majority (95.2%) of foreign students experience difficulties in mastering the grammatical structure of the Russian language. As for personal qualities, the students revealed those that are interconnected with the features of national identity and allow foreign students to adapt to the Russian educational environment and reality. Based on the data obtained, it was concluded that the complexity of educational activities served as a guideline in the teacher’s actions in solving problems of mastering a foreign language and culture by foreign students, preserving the national identity of an individual, and training his/her for intercultural communication in a multicultural world space.

CATALONIA AND CATALANS IN CARLES PUIGDEMONT POLITICAL DISCOURSE: IN SEARCH OF NATIONAL IDENTITY

The purpose of the paper is to determine the peculiarities of the construction of Catalan identity in C. Puigdemont public speeches in 2016 – 2018. The specificity of the chosen theoretical and methodological model of the research is to involve diverse tools of analysis (critical discourse analysis, linguistics, history, political science and sociology) to study the images of Catalonia and Catalans in the modern Spanish political discourse. The authors assumed that Catalan identity has features of national identity in C. Puigdemont political discourse and is used as one of the leading levers of influence on public opinion. The article defines the historic context and main components of the discursive construction of Catalan identity. For analysis and systematization of information, such methods as historical approach, content and event analysis, discourse analysis and elements of statistical analysis were used. The scientific novelty. For the first time it was made an analysis of the role of discursive strategies in the verbalization of Catalan identity in specific texts – in the public speeches of C. Puigdemont, the politician who had a significant impact on the evolution of the Constitutional Crisis in Catalonia in 2017 – 2018. Conclusions. The analysis allowed to explore the historical context and main mechanisms of the verbalization of the cultural and national values of Catalonia and nationalist ideology in political discourse. We found that C. Puigdemont uses different strategies to achieve his communicative goal and create positive images of Catalonia and Catalans in the minds of his audience. The politician is guided by the strategy of self-identification and self-representation to conceptualize the central images of his political speeches. The strategy of division into “us” and “others” is realized by contrasting Catalan and Spanish identities, as well as by comparing Catalonia and Spain as a higher and dependent, aggressor and victim, oppressor and defender. The polarization of the society and the economic decline of Catalonia can be considered as the effects of the implementation of C. Puigdemont policy .