Discursive self-identification of Russians in the game genres of the Runet (on the example of demotivators)

Ethnic and national identities are one of the many possible forms of collective identity, and they have a discursive dimension as well. It is one of the main markers of any type of identity and self-identification. It is possible to establish the representations of identity in language and speech by observing national discursive practices, as well as to reveal the features of self-reflection of native speakers in this respect. The article examines the design of the discursive self-identification of Russians on the example of one of the popular entertainment genres of the Runet - demotivators. The objective of the study is to analyze the Russian identity structures and determine their main blocks (cliches). The material was chosen according to the fact that game discourses and genres presented in them are spheres of the formation and transformation of national identity, they are less susceptible to ideological regulation than others, and therefore reflect spontaneously emerging stereotypes and attitudes of the mass consciousness of native speakers. The empirical base of the study was formed from the Internet sources through search inquiries that were aimed at various discursive identifiers (visual and verbal) associated with the problem under study: Russian person / Russian people / every Russian / Russian woman / Russian man; attributive ethnic characteristics, markers of territory and living conditions, as well as linguistic characteristics. The author infers that self-irony as a trait of the Russian national character is the motive for the creation of many demotivators. One can single out positive / ambivalent and negative self-identification among the topics and problems relevant to network creativity. It was found that the nationality meaning was given by a generalized ethnic identifier in the studied texts: Russian person / Russian people, etc., as well as indications of attributive features by key references: only Russians ... / guess the country by the facial expression (from the photo) / this country can’t be defeated. An indispensable component of the Russian national selfidentification model is the demonstration of ambivalent features - ingenuity, resourcefulness, the strength of a Russian woman, and the value of the native language. Moreover, the self-awareness of Russians is characterized by ironically interpreted negative identifiers such as external severity, insufficiently comfortable living conditions, and a special mentality. The author comes to the conclusion that the study of the peculiarities of the self-identification of Russians in discourses not regulated by the authorities allows designing the corresponding ideas in their dialectical diversity and thereby revealing the specifics of ethno-national self-awareness. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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