COGNITIVE METAPHOR AS A MEANS OF ACTUALIZING THE MEDIA POLITICAL CONCEPT DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.32782/2410-0927-2025-23-3Keywords:
democracy in Ukraine, conceptual metaphor, political media discourse, political concept, cognitive linguistics, framesAbstract
The article examines the role of metaphor as a tool for verbalizing the media political concept DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE in American political media discourse. The aim of the study is to identify and systematize the conceptual metaphors that reflect representations of Ukrainian democracy in materials published by The New York Times. This research forms part of broader scholarly studies devoted to the conceptualization of Ukrainian democracy in English- language political media discourse during the period of Ukraine’s independence and highlights the general tendencies in the construction of Ukraine’s image in the American information space. Methodology. To analyze the collected material, the study employs a methodology for examining conceptual metaphors represented by multiple linguistic data (large thematically unified sets of metaphorical expressions) (Zhabotynska 2016; 2018), grounded in the core principles of classical Conceptual Metaphor Theory. Scientific novelty. This research offers the comprehensive analysis of metaphors describing Ukraine’s democratic transformation in American media from 1991 to 2022. Based on the examination of 374 metaphorical expressions, the study identifies 17 major formulas of conceptual metaphors associated with the referential domain DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE. Special attention is given to the descriptions that specify these metaphoric formulas and their ability to reproduce dominant narratives about Ukraine’s political development throughout the analyzed period. The analysis reveals the dominance of ontological metaphors with correlating domains HUMAN BEING and PHYSICAL OBJECT, which demonstrate the highest metaphorical potential, reflect the anthropocentric nature of political conceptualization, and represent various aspects of how democratic processes are perceived – from emergence and consolidation to threats and challenges. Conclusions. Metaphor emerges as an effective tool for constructing political reality, shaping mental models, and influencing the behavior of recipients. The study confirms that the notions of “human being” and “physical object” play a key role in the verbalization of the concept DEMOCRACY IN UKRAINE in American political media discourse, providing the most stable and productive metaphorical interpretation of Ukrainian democracy. Prospects for further research include a comparative analysis of conceptual metaphors in media with differing political biases.
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