RHIZOMORPHIC SELF-ORGANIZATION OF CONCEPT IN ENGLISH HISTORICAL FILM DISCOURSE

RHIZOMORPHIC SELF-ORGANIZATION OF CONCEPT IN ENGLISH HISTORICAL FILM DISCOURSE

Author:  Zajchenko, S.S. & Olizko, N.S.

Affiliation:  Chelyabinsk State University

Abstract:  Cognitive linguasynergetics is an interdisciplinary methodological approach which allows an overall and profound study of different linguistic phenomena. In the article a concept is interpreted from the linguasynergetic point of view as a dynamic and self-regulating system. The dynamic nature of a concept provides a possibility of applying fractal sets as models to reconstruct the process of concept self-organization. A fractal is a mathematical set that exhibits a repeating self-similar pattern at every scale. Fractals are common in nature, and they have been discovered and analyzed in various art forms. The study of historical film discourse reveals that its key concepts SPIRITUAL POWER, MILITARY POWER and POLITICAL POWER form certain fractal patterns. One of them, rhizomorphic, is being described. Rhizome demonstrates a non-linear development of a multiplicity of elements from a single core, all discrete but interconnected. Similarly, a concept develops from a single nucleus, often concealed or implicit, into various semantically meaningful units, interlacing throughout the narration and forming a rhizomorphic fractal. The study shows that rhizomorphic concepts are highly dynamic and non-linear as they are verbalized with numerous fragmentary allusions decoded differently by individual viewers. Further research will reveal if other fractal sets can be applied to reconstruct the concept self-organization and help to describe some general linguasynergetic peculiarities of discourse structure.

Keywords:  linguasynergetics, fractal, self-similarity, self-organization, concept, rhizome, film discourse

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Pages:  39-46