Prasowa wizja dziewczyny : (analiza konfrontatywna polskich i rosyjskich czasopism młodzieżowych)

Abstract

The monograph aims to reconstruct the press vision of a girl in a comparative study. The research was based on up-to-date material from the most popular Polish and Russian youth magazines, published in 2005—2007. The study consists of five chapters. First chapter contains theoretical premises. The following problems are discussed: state of research concerning the youth press and the linguistic picture of a girl, the forming of the notion of the linguistic worldview, the basic assumptions of cognitive linguistics, the concepts of the linguistic picture of the world in Polish and Russian linguistics; linguistic categorization of the world, profiling, cognitive definition, connotations. Second chapter discussed the notion of nomination understood as a cognitive act. The subjects of analysis were names referring to teenage girls used in the studied magazines. An assumption was made that the names for the girls (as well as the lexis discussed in the following chapters) constitute a certain general model of a contemporary teenage girl (Polish and Russian) presented in the press. Third chapter is focused on recreating the picture of a girl’s relationship between a girl and her parents, peers, and the picture of the male/female relationships. Fourth chapter devoted to the linguistics creation of the press vision of a teenage girl’s appearance. It discussed persuasive strategies in the text about fashion and beauty. Next chapter is devoted to the most important features of the language in youth magazines and its role in creating the image of the girl. Finally there were presented two parallel multifaceted cognitive definitions of the concept: girl (dziewczyna and devushka). The language of the press is supposed to bring about widespread acceptance of the lifestyle endorsed in the press. Magazines induce a desire in female readers to live up to the young woman’s ideal presented in them, at the same time creating a group of consumers for the products which are described. The discussed magazines create a new liberated image of a girl. They attempt to break with the patriarchal tradition which is deeply-rooted in the Polish and Russian societies. By appropriately shaping what is published in the press (both in terms of content and expression) the authors writing for the magazines lead the process of emancipation of the readers. Breaking with the stereotype of a helpless and subservient weaker sex subordinate to the dictate of men, they simultaneously encourage girls to demand support and a caring attitude from men.