Gender specificity of the associative field of the concept CULTURE in Russian linguistic consciousness

Abstract

The paper explores the cognitive modeling of the concept CULTURE in the linguistic consciousness of Russian youth. The aim of the study is to empirically examine the current structure of the associative field of the concept CULTURE and identify the gender specifics of its perception. The research methods include a free association experiment, content analysis for the semantic categorization of responses, a method of layered division of the associative field with the identification of core, basic, and peripheral layers, as well as quantitative and qualitative analysis of the obtained data, taking into account the gender factor. The empirical part was based on 606 respondents (390 men and 216 women). Through content analysis and layered division of the associative field, 13 thematic groups (clusters) were identified and classified, and their frequency hierarchy was determined. A quantitative and qualitative analysis of the data revealed that the core of the general associative field is formed by the thematic groups “Creative Arts”, “Axiological and Subjective-Evaluative Component”, and “National and Geocultural Specifics”. The structure of the associative field was found to have distinct gender specificities: the female associative field is distinguished by a dominant, broader, and more multi-component core (68.49 %), including educational and communicative aspects, while the male field is characterized by greater differentiation (the core constitutes only 44.75 %), with an emphasis on evaluative judgments and national identity. Consequently, male linguistic consciousness is inclined towards a more categorical, pragmatic and socially-identifying assessment of cultural phenomena, while female perception is distinguished by greater integrativity, orientation towards the humanistic, creative and communicative aspects of culture. The identified universal and gender-specific features of the concept CULTURE in the linguistic consciousness of representatives of modern Russian linguaculture make it possible to take into account the cognitive characteristics of various social groups when developing pedagogical strategies, state cultural programs and models of intercultural communication.