Sociolinguistic Patterns and Discursive Stages in Post-Soviet Russia

Abstract

The first part of this chapter provides an overview of sociolinguistic changes that took place in the post-perestroika period. It outlines such developments as the instability of the boundaries between centre and periphery of the Russian language system, reflected in the move of previously marginally used words to the centre, the marginalisation of words that had been in common use, as well as a strong influx of loanwords and ‘internal’ loans from various non-standard varieties of Russian. While such typologies are valuable in their own right, it is argued that attention to the stylistic and pragmatic uses of borrowed words can deliver additional insights into the change of culture and ideology. Two specific elements essential to such analysis, namely the concepts of ‘word meaning’ and ‘metaphor’, are discussed next. Drawing on the vast body of work in discourse analysis and political communication, I demonstrate how these concepts are crucial for exploring the theme of legitimisation and identity construction in Russian media texts and political speeches. The choice of metaphors can frame and organise our shared political narratives, whereas word meanings in particular domains can be redefined as part of a discursive struggle. From this perspective, a systematic study of these textual elements enables the analyst to explore the connections between language and social change.