On discrimination in German football fans’ discourse

Abstract

The article provides the results of a study of German football fans’ communication where reference to the Third Reich can be detected. The represention of this issue is preceded by a general description of the problem with a reference to respected Russian and foreign scientists. A conclusion is made that allusions to the Third Reich are still strong in the national cognitive base and are inevitably projected onto the German linguistic consciousness and futher on to discourses, including sports discourse. New lexical markers are identifi ed to represent the conceptual sphere ‘The Third Reich’, especially its area in which German football fans (mostly ultras) let themselves resort to anti-Semitic narrative and symbols. The reasons for using nazi lexicon by fans are revealed, the prospects for studying this and related problems in linguistics (sexism, social discrimination, etc.) are highlighted. In the course of empirical material analysis complex methotodologies were employed: integrative approach, discourse, component, conceptual analysis, classifi cation, observation, description, lexicographical, contextual method, deduction and induction method. The obtained results allow us to supplement with new data the idea of what conceptual meaning constitues the categories “us — them”, “identity” in football fans’ world view, how individual and collective (linguistic) consciousness works within a certain subculture and on the level of the national sphere of concepts.

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