Refugees from War: Languages of Descriptions and Scientific Analysis

  • Illia Kononov Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6; Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Poltava, Kovalya St., 3, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9253-6261
Keywords: sociology of knowledge, war refugees, language of description, language of analysis, discourse, order of discourse, mass media, Ukraine, Syria, Poland

Abstract

The article analyzes the evolution of the languages of description and scientific analysis of the phenomenon of war refugees in Ukrainian, Polish and English-language scientific literature. The author focused on the analysis of the discourse in the works of Michel Foucault and Norman Fairclough. Discursive practices are part of the socio-political process itself and change in its development. Discursive practices are part of the socio-political process itself and change in its development. The language of the mass media when reflecting the movement of war refugees shows great dependence on political discourse. A peculiar expression of Lapierre's paradox was found in the language of the mass media. If the phenomenon is described abstractly, then the dehumanization of its participants is observed. They are seen as a faceless mass, passive and threatening at the same time. If the journalists' optics are reoriented to the personalization of the participants in the process, then individuals with different destinies and different aspirations stand out from the crowd. The perception of Ukrainian refugees in Europe was largely prepared by the order of discourse about Middle Eastern refugees, in particular Syrian war refugees. Thanks to the rethinking of the European refugee crisis in 2015-2016, Ukrainian refugees were received more friendly. European mass media avoided abstract dehumanization. In Poland, Piotr Dlugosz's research with colleagues and the wide dissemination of their results through publications played a major role in shaping a humane approach to Ukrainian refugees. The analysis of the evolution of Poles' attitude towards Ukrainian refugees demonstrates the collapse of the initial consensus and the formation of a conflictual order of discourse. Ukrainian refugee researchers mainly use positivist language, which is oriented towards the reflection of mass processes. Currently, the Ukrainian scientific community lacks integration into the world scientific community that studies the problem of refugees, and its dependence on ideological discourse is fixed. Turning to world experience demonstrates attention to positivist methodology. It should be supplemented with quality methods that open up opportunities to hear the voices of the refugees themselves. It would be useful to pay attention to the experience of studying the daily life of Syrian refugees in Arab countries. In general, it can be stated that scientific language depends on methodological guidelines. Positivist methods are associated with a language that is suitable for describing mass processes. Qualitative methodology allows you to see a person in historical circumstances.

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Author Biography

Illia Kononov , Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, 1125 Colonel By Dr, Ottawa, ON K1S 5B6; Luhansk Taras Shevchenko National University, Poltava, Kovalya St., 3, Ukraine

visiting professor

professor of the Department of Philosophy and Sociology

References

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References

Published
2024-06-30
How to Cite
Kononov , I. (2024). Refugees from War: Languages of Descriptions and Scientific Analysis. Visnyk of V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Series Sociological Studies of Contemporary Society: Methodology, Theory, Methods, (52), 45-60. https://doi.org/10.26565/2227-6521-2024-52-04
Section
Empirical Researches of Modern Society