Stereotyping language choice in times of conflict
Online Ukrainian discourse about the use of Russian and Ukrainian
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jmtp.13924Keywords:
conflict discourse, language choice, indexicality, post-Soviet, stereotypesAbstract
The article studies the impact language attitudes have on the stereotyping of speakers in a context of ethnic conflict. We investigate the collision between the public and private language identities of Russian- and Ukrainian-speaking citizens in Ukraine. Empirically based on a public discussion on the relationship between language and patriotism in online newspapers and on Facebook, the article explores the perceived links between linguistic choices and individual, regional and national identities. The study analyses the core identity components attributed to and claimed by Ukrainian-and Russian-speaking participants in
the debate, along two axes: political vs personal language choice and national vs regional identity. Focusing on discourse about language choice, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how in conflict situations language can be conceptualised as reflecting a fundamental component of sociopolitical identity claims, which in the case of Ukraine has repercussions about who is seen as belonging to the nation.
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