Бакалаврські роботи | Bachelor theses

The research is devoted to the analysis of the FRIEND :: ENEMY opposition in modern English, with a special focus on its manifestation in the mass media. The relevance of this paper is determined by the significant influence of this dichotomy on the formation of social relations and political narratives in the modern world. This linguistic opposition not only reflects interpersonal interactions but is also actively used in the media to shape public opinion. The object of the study is the representation of the FRIEND :: ENEMY opposition in leading British and American publications, and the subject is the linguistic means by which this opposition is realised in media texts. The aim of the study is to reveal the linguistic and cognitive mechanisms behind the FRIEND :: ENEMY dichotomy and analyse its representation in contemporary media in the UK and the USA. The research methods used in this paper include the methods of cognitive linguistics, semantic and pragmatic analysis. In particular, the use of the descriptive method, as well as quantitative methods, allowed us to examine in detail how the media construct these concepts and what semantic and pragmatic strategies they use. Based on the results of the study, it can be concluded that the media not only reflect, but also actively shape public perceptions of “friends” and “enemies”, using various linguistic means to influence the audience. There is a significant role of the media in using emotionally coloured vocabulary, as well as in manipulating facts to create the desired image. Such actions have important consequences for international relations and domestic political processes. An important contribution of this paper is the systematisation of approaches to the study of linguistic opposition in media discourse and the identification of areas for further research in this area. The influence of media narratives on the formation of linguistic stereotypes and identity is analysed on the example of FRIEND :: ENEMY opposition.