“ONE’S OWN” VERSUS “ALIEN”: DEVELOPMENT DYNAMICS AND THE MANIPULATIVE POTENTIAL OF “THE COLD WAR” CONCEPT IN THE ENGLISH-POLITICAL DISCOURSE

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Abstract

The aim of present research is to develop a framework for a diachronic analysis of complex concepts in political discourse. More specifically, the paper seeks to uncover some of the changes that the COLD WAR concept has undergone in political communication over time. In line with Minsky’s theory of frames that defines frames as data structures to represent stereotyped situations, the study shows that there are core elements in the COLD WAR frame that largely remain unaltered. This durable set of elements, however, does not exclude the emergence of new slots as well as novel extensions of the existing ones that can be used to comprehend and conceptualize recent developments in the realm of politics. The data also suggest that complex concepts can serve as a cognitive tool to change people’s hearts and minds by promoting a particular interpretation and evaluation of events or issues.

About the authors

Natalia A Ches

Moscow State Institute of International Relations

Author for correspondence.
Email: eng7@mgimo.ru

Ches Natalia Anatolievna, PhD, Associate Professor of the English Language Department No. 1 at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; scientific interests: cognitive and discursive pragmatics, linguistic and cognitive mechanisms of manipulative influence in a poly-modal communicative environment, development of applied aspects of modern cognitive-discursive studies

Prospekt Vernadskogo, 76, Moscow, Russia, 119454

Nikita A Kovalev

Moscow State Institute of International Relations

Email: nikitakovalyov@yandex.ru

Kovalev Nikita Aleksandrovich, post-graduate student, English language teacher at the department № 6 at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation; scientific interests: cognitive linguistics, political linguistics, studies of political media discourse

Prospekt Vernadskogo, 76, Moscow, Russia, 119454

References

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  2. Kubryakova, E.S., Demyankov, V.Z, Pankrats, Yu.G. & Luzina, L.G. (1996). Concise dictiona ry of cognitive terms. М oscow: MGU. (In Russ.).
  3. Minsky, M. (1979). A Framework for Representing Knowledge. Мoscow: Energia. (In Russ.).
  4. Minsky, M. (1988). Jokes and the Logic of the Cognitive Unconscious. New in forein linguistics/ Edition ХХIII. Cognitive aspects of language. Мoscow: Progress. pp. 52—92. (In Russ.).
  5. Stepanov, Yu. S. (1997). Constants: the Dictionary of Russian culture. Мoscow: Yazyki russkoy kultury. (In Russ.).

Copyright (c) 2017 Ches N.A., Kovalev N.A.

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