Political Correctness Research Articles

IMAGES OF HUNGER, SATIATION AND THIRST IN THE MIRROR OF ENGLISH AND UKRAINIAN PHRASEOLOGY. Article 3

This publication is the final, third article of the thematic cycle Images of feeding/eating food in the mirror of English and Ukrainian phraseology. It is devoted to the problem of figurative understanding and phraseological description of the processes (including causes and consequences) of CONSUMING food or drinks. The material considered by us offers the possibility of ethnocultural comparative analysis of two unrelated societies — Ukrainian-speaking and English-speaking ones. Based on A. Maslow’s thesis about the basic level of needs in the phylogenetic development of a person as a biological and social being, namely the need to quench hunger and thirst, the phraseological funds of both languages, which are focused on seeing exactly these needs, are considered. It has been proven that phraseological units (PhU) of gustatory semantics verbalize the deep cognitive model AGENT FEEDS THE PATIENT SOMEHOW and its mirror second half PATIENT CONSUMES SOMETHING (FOOD/DRINK) SOMEHOW. This publication highlights exactly this second half of the specified cognitive model. The purpose of this study was to investigate the phraseological fund of a language as certain clots of cultural heritage, cast into a figuratively transformed patterns of idioms, phraseological units, proverbs, sometimes maxims, i.e. prescriptions of ancestors, which they passed on to their descendants regarding the correct worldview and successful functioning in the surrounding world. The total sample is quantitatively distributed unevenly between the two languages, the English component is twice as small as the Ukrainian one: 117 English PhUs and 265 Ukrainian PhU. The semantic component CONSUMPTION is verbalized by 13 verbs in English and 28 in Ukrainian, which indicates a greater sensitivity of Ukrainian speakers to the semantic nuances of the process of consuming food and drinks (them being excessive or insufficient, approved or critically regarded by the speaker who nominates the phenomenon). It was found that the English-speaking sample is more focused on reflecting universal, philosophical aspects of life, while the Ukrainian sample is more “home-centric”, the state of hunger and thirst in the Ukrainian-speaking sample is reflected much more broadly and more emotionally than in the English-speaking sample, overeating is a frequent object of mockery and criticism of Ukrainians, which in no way coincides with the dominant code of political correctness in modern Western culture. The analyzed material testified to a certain role of alcoholic beverages in the lives of representatives of the two ethnic groups, both ethno-specific and cross-cultural customs and traditions were revealed, the presence of English-language PhUs regarding drug use was recorded, which is not observed in Ukrainian-speaking PhUs. In conclusion, let us emphasize that gustatory phraseology of any language reflects not only the processes and customs of FEEDING / CONSUMING something edible, but a much wider spectrum of human existence: personal and social relationships, philosophical interpretations of human needs and limitations, moral prescriptions and prohibitions. In the end, we will repeat the thought of Socrates, with which we started this series of articles: “One must eat to live, not live to eat.”

Following Job's feet

The feet are the base of the body but suggest mobility at the same time. As such an important corporeal part to be expected is that figurative language would develop around it hinting at unconscious associations to feet which might not be consciously logical. In the Book of Job the protagonist’s feet are mostly referred to as metaphors and then mainly with negative connotations. This is both because of the Satan’s attack on a man whom he suspects of having moral feet of clay and because of Job’s internal feuds with the feminine. Job experiences this as a sense of falling. A psychoanalytic perspective on metaphors for behaviour and especially on sexual euphemisms could penetrate through the façade of possible political correctness to add to a deeper understanding than the traditional exegesis has rendered thus far and give a glimpse of an underlying body-image.

Political Correctness in Social Media towards Palestinian Content from Arab Muslim Youth Perspective

Belief in political correctness and its use in daily life has occupied the interest of many researchers recently, especially with its spread and penetration in various areas of life. Although the concept of political correctness appears to be benevolent, which is represented in defending the rights of minorities, what lies within is extremism, bias, and the silencing of those who oppose, criticize, or even express their opinion. This study mainly aims to know the repercussions of political correctness in social media towards the Palestinian content, from the point of view of Arab Muslim youth who are active on social media. To achieve the objective of the study, the analytical survey method will be followed, and the questionnaire tool will be used on a random sample of Arab Muslim youth active on social media platforms. The study assumes that there are repercussions of political correctness on the Palestinian content on social media platforms, and it also assumes that there is a restriction of Palestinian content on social media that increases and decreases in line with the periods of escalation between the Palestinians and the Israeli occupation.

COMMUNICATIVE-SPEECH REALIZATION OF THE CATEGORY OF POLITENESS IN MODERN GERMAN POLITICAL DISCOURSE

The article is devoted to the analysis of the communicative-speech implementation of the category of politeness in modern German political discourse, associated with the manifestation of such professional and personal qualities of its main subjects — politician, as political correctness, persuasiveness, etc. The analysis is carried out on the material of the texts of modern German political discourse. The methodological basis of the analysis is scientific works on the theory of discourse and text, political linguistics, pragmalinguistics, sociolinguistics, cultural linguistics. The understanding of the category of politeness as an interdisciplinary dynamic phenomenon is accepted. The complex bipolar system of the category of politeness, which is based on a dynamic scale of communicative strategies and linguistic means of expressing both formally polite and emotionally expressive address, is updated in various types of discourses. When analyzing the features of the expression of the category of politeness in modern German political discourse, the syncretism of its functions, primarily ethical and persuasive, is taken into account. The interaction and mutual influence of the main functions of the category of politeness are shown on the example of the implementation of the communicative strategy of dialogization by the linguistic personality of a German politician in various situations of political discourse. The article substantiates the thesis that by creating a quasi-reality of dialogue, using speech politeness formulas, a politician has an impact on the audience to achieve political goals.

“New Ethics” and “Old” Political Correctness

“New Ethics” and “Old” Political Correctness

Isso a marca não o mostra: omissões e distorções comunicacionais empresariais à luz do imaginário

Abstract We propose a symbolic investigation of two publications posted on Instagram by Heineken and Carrefour. This choice was made because they represent the idea of “political correctness”. The objective is to analyze these communications from an imaginary theories perspective, as suggested by M. Contrera, G. Durand, C. Jung, and others, as this action allows the identification of hidden aspects in the publications and the perception of what information is there, however, in addition to the obviousness of commercial interests that aim to reinforce the brand’s good public reputation. Our conclusions suggest that it is possible to change this biased perception by building a critical mass sufficiently qualified to recognize these mechanisms that lead to communication one-sidedness.

Эвфемизация англоязычного гастрономического дискурса

The aim of the research is to determine the specifics of euphemisation in contemporary English-language gastronomic discourse. Scientific novelty of the research lies in studying the insufficiently explored euphemisation sphere and revealing the current trends in gastronomic linguistic culture. The authors ana-lyse such motives for the euphemistic renaming of gluttonyms as taboos, political ideology, political cor-rectness and the concept of ecological awareness. The research findings have shown that euphemisation due to social, religious or cultural taboos is a permanently relevant incentive for gastronomic neologisms creation. The practice of the political renaming of English-language gluttonyms reflects the latest changes in political views and is explored in terms of cancel culture. It has been found that euphemisation within the framework of political correctness dictates a variety of restrictions, from replacing discriminatory racist and sexist nominations to banning products recognised as environmentally unfriendly, unhealthy, inhumane to animals and contributing to climate change.

EUPHEMISM TRANSFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF MILITARY LANGUAGE

The article analyzes modern approaches to the interpretation of military euphemisms moreover understanding the difference between political correctness and hybrid war. The article presents the study of the functioning of military-political euphemisms in modern English language on the example of war in Ukraine in the means of mass communication. Significance of the given research is stipulated by the vivid interest to the matters of euphemism, in the context of military terms, penetrated into all areas of activity, especially in mass media language style. The results reflect the general state of achieving the goal and performing tasks in clarifying the concept of “euphemism”, besides this determines the functional and pragmatic features of military-political euphemisms, linguistic means of countering the manipulation of the recipients’ consciousness by using military-political euphemisms in the media space under the conditions of a hybrid war. The article focuses on the importance of euphemism formation and its overcoming: an exposure of “language corruption” as one of the manipulation types, as well as, detection of the so-called “foreign meanings” in the war language. The research deals with the theoretical background on the usage of military euphemisms not only in English-speaking media. Ukrainian example is taken into consideration

Arma Veritatis : Poland and the World Exhibition of the Catholic Press (Esposizione mondiale della stampa cattolica), Vatican City, 1936

The World Exhibition of the Catholic Press held in the Vatican City from mid-May 1936, though not a 'universal' exhibition, but � seemingly � an internal affair of the Catholic Church, attracted representations of 45 states of Europe and America and 53 regions of the remaining three continents. True to its motto, its aim was propagandistic, directed against the current communist and liberal tendencies. The present paper, which looks at the exhibition from the perspective of the Polish room, is based on documentary materials left by its prime mover, Fr Stanis�aw Adamski, bishop of Katowice, responsible for the mass media in Polish episcopate. An interesting paradox is that it was not Poland as a state, but the representation of Polish Church that participated in the event. The state authorities were contacted only as much as political correctness and diplomatic courtesy required, or with the prospect of some financial support. They seemed to be indifferent and, at any rate, unwilling to spend any money on the exhibition, even though it was advertised by the Church as an excellent promotional opportunity. Bishop Adamski almost single-handedly devised the Polish exhibit, including the iconography and political message of a painting entitled Polonia � Sanctorum Mater et Scutum Christianitatis ('Poland � Mother of the Saints and Shield of Christianity'), which depicted important personalities from Polish history, including � tellingly � the figures of King John III Sobieski and Marshall J�zef Pi�sudski.

Neo-Gnosticism and the American Dissident Right

Neo-Gnosticism and the American Dissident Right

NATIONAL AND CULTURAL FEATURES OF THE SPEECH ACT CONGRATULATIONS IN THE MODERN GERMAN LANGUAGE (compared to Russian)

The proposed paper analyzes the features of the speech act congratulation in modern German in comparison with Russian. The author proceeds from the understanding of etiquette speech acts as representatives of the communicative category politeness, characterizes these phenomena as socially conditioned, changeable and, as a result, requiring repeated study. The purpose of the article is the comparative consideration of congratulation in informal communication in German and Russian. The tasks of the work include a review of available research papers on the issue, a comparative description of congratulations in two nationalcultural communities taking into account traditions and customs of the people and the specifics of language units. The dictionary platforms of the German, authentic didactic resources and examples from the author’s personal correspondence are used as practical material. An analysis of the semantic and syntactic properties of the performatives constituting the speech act congratulation in both languages allows to draw conclusions regarding the use of etiquette formulas in close connection with a holidays certain category: in contrast of the Russian verb поздравлять, the German verb gratulieren is used in congratulations on personal events of the addressee, at that time how congratulations on state or church holidays are good wishes, expressed by nominal phrases. The novelty of the research lies also in addressing the issues of stereotyping and modification of the semantic meanings of particular holidays in German culture, emerging of new significant occasions under the influence of democratization processes in society, due to the spread of political correctness ideas, which determines the relevance of the corresponding congratulatory phrases.

Основные тенденции развития современного немецкого языка (в сравнении с русским языком)

The purpose of the study is to determine themain trends in the development of theGerman language (in comparison with theRussian language) in the context of socio-political transformations, changing social norms, communication conditions, and rethinking of values. The scientific novelty of thework is to establish the factors that determine changes in theGerman language. The article proposes an analysis of norms and values of theGerman society in terms of their synchronous stability and diachronic variability. The development of theGerman language in themodern period is influenced both by global processes (globalization, pandemic, conflicts, etc.), and by the peculiarities of the life of theGerman nation in the context of increasing migration, struggle for gender equality and gender diversity. The authors give examples of neologisms and borrowings in theGerman language that have arisen under the influence of various forms of political correctness, as well as examples of other lexical and speech innovations due to the new value hierarchy. As a result of considering the specifics of social norms and values of theGerman society, the universal and original trends in the evolution of themodern German language, the features of the language policy of theGerman state are determined.

Поздравление как социокультурный коммуникативный феномен (на материале немецкого, французского и русского языков)

The purpose of the article is the comparative consideration of Congratulation in informal communication in German, French and Russian linguistic cultures. The method used by the authors of comparative analysis of the semantic and syntactic properties of performatives constituting the speech act Congratulations in these languages allows to draw conclusions regarding the use of etiquette formulas in close connection with a holidays certain category. In contrast of the Russian verb поздравлять, the German verb gratulieren is used in congratulations on personal events of the addressee, while the French verb féliciter is used more often in official communication; in everyday speech preference is given to its substantive derivative félicitations. Congratulations on state or church holidays are good wishes, expressed by nominal phrases. The novelty of the research lies also in addressing the issues of stereotyping and modification of the semantic meanings of particular holidays, emerging of new significant occasions under the influence of democratization processes in society, due to the spread of political correctness ideas, which determines the relevance of the corresponding congratulatory phrases.

Politika kritike - o društveno-politički angažovanoj dimenziji Fukoove metodologije

It seems that the work of Michel Foucault has, in the last decade, attracted some attention. This attention is a result of media engaging in a sensationalist way with his work and his private life. He is usually being portrayed as a radical postmodern nihilist, while his work is being blamed for inspiring contemporary identity politics and the practice of political correctness. These developments seem to us as a good reason to go back to Foucault's work. Since the relation between scientific work and social engagement is an important problem in contemporary social sciences and humanities, we decided to research the way Foucault conceptualized the relation between his intellectual work and his political activism. We begin our paper by elaborating some of the most important theoretical concepts in Foucault's work. We start from his notion of practice, as a form of social action, and then move on to the two types of practices Foucault distinguishes: discursive and non-discursive practices. In the end of this chapter, we present the notion of the "dispositive", which Foucault defines as an interconnected system of discursive and non-discursive practices, and his notion of subjectivity, which is defined as a relation an individual has with himself. In the next chapter we engage with methodologies Foucault uses in his research. We start with archeology, a methodology he used in the beginning of his work, while researching discursive practices. We then move on to genealogy, which is a methodology Foucault used to study systems that combine discursive and non-discursive practices. Since genealogy is the methodology, he envisions as being connected to political practice, we will especially focus on it. Precisely in the next chapter of our paper we will investigate the ways in which Foucault conceptualizes the relationship between genealogical research and political activism. We will show that he sees political activism as a primary criterion for choosing a research subject. Genealogical research then, for Foucault, provides a reflection on the history of an institution, around which the political struggle in question is waged. The results of the genealogical research are, for him, suppose to show how the institution in question is a product of contingent historical processes and, therefore, can be changed through political action, since it is not grounded in any metaphysical necessity. In the last chapter of our analysis, we will deal with Foucault's attempt to connect his genealogical research and political activism through an ethical framework. In this chapter we will present his concept of enlightenment, as an ethical tradition in which both his intellectual and political work can be situated. He conceptualizes the enlightenment as an "attitude", which consist of various kinds of practices, through which an individual constantly tests and transgresses existing boundaries, which are imposed on our actions and forms of subjectivity. Therefore, through these practices the individual, by his very existence, shows that those boundaries are contingent, and can be changed. In the conclusion our paper we, again, turn to contemporary characterizations of Foucault's work. We show that our elaboration of his ideas proves those characterization as inadequate and wrong.

СПЕЦИФИКА КОНСТРУИРОВАНИЯ ПРАВОРАДИКАЛЬНОЙ ПОВЕСТКИ В СОВРЕМЕННОЙ ВЕЛИКОБРИТАНИИ

Right-wing political parties have been significant actors in the political process in many European countries for the last two decades now. Their influence on the party-political landscape of Europe, including the electoral one, is explained by the fact that in the face of the challenges of globalization, many of these parties were able to qualitatively transform their discourse, involving the actualities of our time, adapting them to their own ideological platform. However, there are several facts that distinguish the British case of right-wing radicalism from the continental European one. The author studies the features of the discourse of the right-wing radicals of the Britain using the example of one of the officially registered right-wing parties – «For Britain» - and identifies the main elements of the discourse of this party in the context of globalization, immigration flows, the application of ideas of political correctness to practice. Despite the party leadership's decision in the summer of 2022 to terminate its existence, its ideas do not cease to influence large number of Britons. Finally, the author identifies, the main categories of nationalist discourse, and analyzes how they are instrumentally used by the "For Britain" party in constructing its ideology.

IDENTIFICATION OF THE MOST PRODUCTIVE WAYS TO NEUTRALIZE DISCRIMINATORY LABELED LEXICAL UNITS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE PRINCIPLE OF POLITICAL CORRECTNESS IN MEDIA DISCOURSE

Statement of the problem. The purpose of the study is the search of the most productive tool for neutralizing discriminatively marked lexical means according to the principle of political correctness in media discourse. The linguopragmatics of neutralized discriminative marked lexical means allows the eliminating the discriminative effect and significantly increases the chances of successful communication. Results. The research material is represented by the Internet foreign media texts. We analyzed them through critical discourse analysis. According to the results of the analysis of 107 media texts containing discriminative lexical means of nominative areas "Racial (national) identity" and "Gender identity" we define the main tools of neutralization. They are euphemization, reduction of stigmatic terms and exclusion of invectives. Conclusion. According to the research results, the authors conclude that euphemization is the most productive instrument of neutralization of the discriminative lexical means in nominative areas of "Race (national) identity" and "Gender identity". Neutralization by euphemization in compliance with the principle of political correctness enables communicants not only to avoid the use of discriminative lexical means, but also can make communication more effective.

Echoes from "Fight Club"

This work addresses Chuck Palahniuk’s novel Adjustment Day as a satirical critique of the political radicalization of the USA and as a warning about the dangerous ideological effects narratives may have on our posthumanist understanding of reality. To reach his purposes, the novelist combines three stylistic strategies. First, he creates a satirical story that exposes the condition of American politics, the dangers of radicalized political correctness, and the present risks of populist revolutions. Secondly, he uses explicit metafictional references to Fight Club and to other literary works and critical theories to warn about the dangerous effects that the power of narrative can have. Finally, Palahniuk departs from the minimalist style he used in his earlier and most well-known fiction in favor of a heterodiegetic and omniscience narrative voice that, combined with multiple internal focalizations, endorses a plural, non-categorical understanding of reality.

A Tale of Two Dragons

This article argues that the effacement of the carnivalesque qualities in contemporary kung fu comedy films due to censorship and propaganda presents a dilemma for China’s culturally conservative soft power agenda. Alluding to Mikhail Bakhtin’s idea of carnival, the highly adaptive yet grotesque kung fu comedic body in late 1970s Hong Kong poses a challenge to the austere image of traditional kung fu masters established after 1949. With China’s attempt to nationalise kung fu cinema as a propaganda platform after the 1997 handover, the carnivalesque body in kung fu comedy has come to be seen by censorship bodies as regressive and dangerous, undermining not only the nation’s geopolitical ambitions but also the film industry’s continuing efforts to resist the cultural influence of global Hollywood. With the political correctness of the kung fu imaginary emphasising the traditional, the assiduous, and the virtuous, the comedic kung fu body, characteristic of the subversive, the indolent, and the vulgar, can no longer serve as an outlet for the expression of resentments and frustrations. Not only does this change limit the genre’s diversity and development, but it also undermines China’s political imperative of reaffirming the status quo through kung fu comedy. I will illustrate this dilemma through readings of Tanigaki Kenji’s Enter the Fat Dragon (2020) and Dayo Wong’s The Grand Grandmaster (2020).

Support for Freedom of Speech and Concern for Political Correctness

Abstract: Freedom of speech and political correctness are recurrent and contentious topics in contemporary society. The present study ( N = 300 North-American adults) aimed to advance empirical knowledge on these issues by investigating how cognitive ability and trait emotional intelligence predict individuals’ support for freedom of speech and concern for political correctness, considering empathy and intellectual humility as mediating variables. We demonstrate that both trait emotional intelligence and cognitive ability uniquely predict less concern for political correctness and more support for freedom of speech. Mediation through empathy slightly suppressed the effects of cognitive ability and emotional intelligence on concern for political correctness, whereas intellectual humility no longer served as a mediating variable in the overall path analysis. Possible mechanisms, implications, and avenues for future research are discussed.

Science Fiction Series <i>Star Trek</i> and <i>Babylon 5</i> as Forms of Political and Memorial Cultures Construction

The author analyzes Star Trek and Babylon 5 series as segments of American political culture and collective memory. The purpose of the article is to analyze how American popular culture, represented by the TV series, actualizes and visualizes the problems of the admissibility / inadmissibility of external influence / non-influence of more developed societies on less developed ones and demonstrates the features of collective memory developments. The author studies the assimilation of the political in the visual discourses of mass culture. Methodologically, the article is based on the principles proposed in the memorial turn and the analysis of the politics of memory within the paradigm of intellectual history. The novelty of the study lies in the analysis of common and unique features and directions of assimilation of the political, reduced to the problems of interference / nonintervention, in modern mass culture and historical memory. The article considers 1) the modes of actualization of political and social differences between societies in Star Trek and Babylon 5 TV series; 2) the political and ideological dimensions of intervention through the prism of mass culture and aspects of the functioning of various memorial cultures; 3) the problems of memory as the trauma received during the forced interaction of imagined societies with different identities in the contexts of the development of collective memories and the uncomfortable past revision through the formation of a compromise memorial canon. The article shows the contribution of the series as elements of mass cultural discourse to the development of Western political culture and of Selfness and Otherness concepts, and indicates their role in the revision of the past in popular culture. The results of the study suggest that the assimilation of the political in mass cultural discourse became both an incentive for ideological modifications and transformations of modern society, and a form of promoting the principles of political correctness and tolerance as its systemic characteristics. Moreover, it can be viewed as an attempt to revise the memorial canon and to enhance it by alternative visions of history, based on the revitalization of marginalized collective memories.