Section
UDC
81’42:314.6DOI
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-25-4-39-54How to Cite
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Солопова О.А., Кошкарова Н.Н.
Abstract
The paper focuses on the family metaphor in modeling the BRICS grouping image in the discourses of its member countries. The values that underline multilateral models of cooperation within the group provide a basis for analyzing this image through linguistic and cultural approaches. Equality, non-interference, mutual benefit and respect are both qualities of the family as a social institution and the BRICS spirit. The paper discusses the case of family and kinship relations from a universal and cultural points of view. Archetypal images associated with the family structure are often used in political rhetoric, as they are based on values and senses familiar to everyone. The relevance of the family metaphor is supported by biological determinism of social phenomena and positive connotations of the family image in everyday linguistic consciousness. A considerable amount of literature has been published on the use of the family metaphor in political discourse in Russian (N. V. Bagicheva, L. V. Balashova, T. Y. Bykova, N. A. Segal, O. A. Solopova, A. P. Chudinov, etc.) and foreign (K. L. Adams, D. C. Barker, G. Lakoff, Cha Oona, A. Zibin, etc.) discourse studies. The data of five official languages of the BRICS grouping (Portuguese, Russian, Hindi, Chinese and English) are used to identify the origin and current state of the metaphor use. The paper gives an account of the acronym BRICS interpretation, frequency of the key phrase “BRICS family” by year and country, and periods of the metaphor actualization. The use of the family metaphor in the BRICS grouping media political discourse is determined by extralinguistic factors: united as a family, the countries can adequately respond to prevailing global negative trends and challenges.
Keywords
Funding information
The research is financially supported by Russian Science Foundation № 24-18-00049 “Modeling the image of Russia in BRICS’ media discourses: frames, metaphors, and stereotypes”, https://rscf.ru/project/24-18-00049/.
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