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14СОЦИОЛИНГВИСТИКА
УДК 81'27; 811.111 Korlyakova Alla Firsovna
PhD (Philology), Associate Professor of English for Professional
Purposes Department, Perm State University
6140990, Perm, ul. Bukireva, 15
Tel.: +7 (342) 2396833
E-mail: southstar@inbox.ru
Erofeeva Tamara Ivanovna
Grand PhD (Philology), Professor, Theoretical and Applied Linguistics Department, Perm State University 6140990, Perm, ul. Bukireva, 15 Tel.: +7 (342) 2396477 E-mail: genling.psu@gmail.com
TOLERANCE AS A MORAL AND ETHICAL CONCEPTION IN ENGLISH SOCIETY
The present paper deals with the national specifics of the assessment aspect in the meaning of the words. A modern scientific paradigm considers the language as a cognitive tool of understanding the world and keeping and representing people's experience and values which reflect the people's vision of the world ("the world picture). Usually linguistics understands the language world picture as a way of understanding reality fixed in the language and typical of a given language group. One of the most important components of the language picture of the world is the category of assessment a system of social and personal values objectified in language units. Problems of assessment senses formation at different language levels (morphological, lexical, syntactical). However, the national assessment specifics is still not studied enough. Since man's world view is based on the assessment components of sense in the world picture, ignoring them makes it hard or impossible for different cultures representatives to understand each other, which makes the research of sense assessment components and its variations in different societies an urgent problem. The article considers the results of a linguistic experiment aimed at finding shades of meaning and personal implications correlated with the word tolerance in moral and ethical conceptions of English society. The analysis of the experiment results allowed us to partially reconstruct the world picture of the English culture representatives and reveal the phenomenon assessment aspect.
Keywords: sems, moral and ethical conceptions, assessment aspect, the language picture of the world.
Introduction
A modern scientific paradigm considers the language as a cognitive tool of understanding the world and keeping and representing people's experience and values which reflect the people's vision of the world ("the world picture") [Апресян, 1995; Вежбицкая, 1996, 1992; Шмелев, 2008; Арутюнова, 1999, 1998; Apresian, 1995; Vezhbitskaya, 1996, 1992; Shmelev, 2008; Arutyunova 1999, 1998 and others]. Usually linguistics understands the language world picture as a way of understanding reality fixed in the language and typical of a given language group.
There are different approaches to studying national and cultural features of the language picture of the world. For example, linguo cognitive scientists consider the language as the source component and analyse similarities and differences between languages in terms of a language system [Арутюнова, 1999, 1998; Шмелев, 1997, 2008; Arutyunova, 1999, 1998; Shmelev, 2008] and other specialists in linguo culturology think that the main part is played by the language awareness of a certain linguo cultural group [Вежбицкая, 1992, 1996; Карасик 2004; Vezhbitskaya1992, 1996, Karasik, 2004] and others.
One of the most important components of the language picture of the world is the category of assessment, a system of social and personal values objectified in language units. The language assessment research can be found in the works of many linguists [Арутюнова, 1988; Вольф, 2002 et al.]. [Arutyunova 1988; Wolf 2002; and others]. Problems of assessment senses formation at different language levels (morphological, lexical, and syntactical) and text&discourse assessment units functioning are studied; language assessment, various personality features (gender, national, psychological) links are found. However, the national assessment specifics are still not studied enough. Since man's world view is based on the assessment components of sense in the world picture, ignoring them makes it hard or impossible for different cultures representatives to understand each other, which makes the research of sense assessment components and its variations in different societies an urgent problem.
The Main Part
In terms of the problem in question of great interest are moral and ethical ideas and society value guidelines and their reflection in lexical meanings of some words, namely the words of the moral and ethical category (good, evil, anger, shame, conscience, modesty, love, hate, pride, and tolerance). Analysing their meanings and variations in different national and cultural social groups will contribute greatly to the results of studying the language picture of the world and language assessment as a whole.
The article will consider the results of a linguistic experiment aimed at finding shades of meaning and personal implications correlated with the word tolerance in moral and ethical conceptions of English society. The analysis of the experiment results allowed us to partially reconstruct the world picture of the English culture representatives and reveal the phenomenon assessment aspect.
The research is based on the explanations of the word tolerance given by English informants and found in dictionaries. 48 informants took part in the experiment. The informants were selected with respect to sociobiological factors.
During the experiment the given explanations of the word tolerance were analysed to reveal their semantics. Finding semes in words explanations is in our opinion an efficient way of studying the speakers' attitude to the notion explained. Furthermore explanations are considered as "a partially verbalized internal cognitive context of respondents' language and life experience" [Zalevskaya, 2011, p.116].
The semes found formed the semantic field of the given word. Informants' reaction frequencies distributions allowed three zones to be distinguished in each word semantic field. The first zone includes the most frequent reactions determining the most frequent semes which we can come across in dictionary definitions, the second one is a zone of vital senses where high reaction frequency meanings are noted which are important for informants and the third one is a zone of individual reactions in which the semes distinguished somehow clarify the real meanings of the word. Thus in each word semantic field the semes found have a different degree of importance and are arranged with respect to their occurrence in explanations.
Seme zone distribution allows relevant semantic components of word meanings dealing with a moral and ethical assessment to be found. The zone boundaries were determined according to differences in distribution diagrams.
Relevant semantic word components were analysed in terms of assessment. The analysis is based on Arutyunova's assessment classification which was complemented and reworked in accordance with our material. As a result the following assessments were considered: 1) emotional including the predicates good / bad and also all semantic features connected with sensual experience; 2) intellectual which helps us understand the reasons for the assessment and act more rationally; 3) utilitarian, rational assessments connected with man's practical activity and everyday experience; 4) normative assessments where the event assessed is compared with some norm or standard and connected with some positive reference point; 5) theological, taking religion or the commandments as a criterion; 6) ethical dealing with an ethical norm or some moral code; 7) esthetical connected with satisfying our sense of the beautiful.
Let us consider the way the word tolerance is understood in English society. Oxford English Dictionary gives the following definition of the word tolerance : the ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behavior that one dislikes or disagrees with. Let us draw table 1 to understand the seme frequency distribution found in the informants' explanations. Table 1 shows us the semes and the assessment types found in English explanations. The total number of semes distinguished by the seme explanation analysis method is 15. The given seme occurrence is 80 reactions.
Let us consider the distribution of the semes found in the analysis of the word tolerance explanations by the English group informers with respect to semantic zones. The first zone distinguishes among the following semes: accept the situation and the person as they are (23 reactions), to others (17 reactions), ability to cope with a situation (13 reactions). The second zone: patience, стойкость (6 reactions), being active (6 reactions). The third zone includes the following semes: understanding (3 reactions), respect other people's views (3 reactions), ability to cope with a situation (1 reaction), being able to control your emotions (1 reaction), consideration (1 reaction), forgiveness (1 reaction), and non-conflict (1 reaction).
The analysis of seme frequency distribution referred to the first or second zones shows that English people understand tolerance as a willingness to accept things as they are (23 reactions out of 33): A willingness to accept things as they are; Allowing something to continue with or without your approval; Being accepting of others and their differences; Accepting and understanding the behavior, actions, views, of others even if not in agreement with; Tolerance is the ability to accept their culture and way of life if it differs from our own.
Table 1. The number of semes found in informants 'explanations dealing with
the word tolerance
Semes Ttl Assessment types
emotional intellectua l ethical utilitarian normative theological
Take it as it is 23 0 0 0 0 23 0
to others 17 0 0 17 0 0 0
put up with an unpleasant situation 13 0 0 0 0 13 0
Being active 5 0 0 0 0 5 0
Patience, persistence 6 0 0 6 0 0 0
understanding 3 0 3 0 0 0 0
ability to control emotions 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
positive 2 2 0 0 0 0 0
respect 3 3 0 0 0 0 0
forgiveness 1 0 0 1 0 0 0
negative 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
non-conflict 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
Being quiet 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
accept dissidence 2 0 2 0 0 0 0
adjustment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
consideration 1 1 0 0 0 0 0
loyalty 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ego 1 0 0 0 0 1 0
for communication 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
ability to cope with a situation 1 0 1 0 0 0 0
kindness 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
tolerance 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
god 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
torment 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 80 6 8 24 0 42 0
It is relevant for informants that tolerance is manifested in the ability to put up with something unpleasant (13 reactions out of 24): When you put up with something that annoys you; Putting up with something unpleasant; Accepting something that is not necessarily enjoyed / desired; Tolerance is the ability to cope with circumstances that one finds undesirable.
It is important to accept (3 reactions out of 9) and respect (3 reactions out of 5) the views of other people: Being accepting a wide range of view-points and perspectives; Respecting other views; Having patience with others who hold different views or beliefs.
This is patience, i.e. the need to exhibit endurance, resistance (6 reactions out of 10). In the interpretation of the English, the word forbearance is used, which means 'to show restraint, patience': Willingness to forbear in situations; as well as the word patient - an ability to be patient: An ability to be patient with something or somebody. The verb suffer with the meaning 'to experience pain, difficulty or loss is also used: Suffering without complaining; Long suffering; Long suffering, forbearance. The ability to control emotions is emphasized (1 reaction out of 9): to allow a situation, person or being to be different from your expectations or desires without anger. Tolerance-forgiveness (1 reaction): Tolerance is the ability to forgive the mistakes of others. A positive assessment of this quality is given (2 reactions out of 7) through the use of adjectives: vital, important.
As the analysis of the selected semes shows, the understanding of the word tolerance by informants corresponds to the dictionary definition, i.e. tolerance is interpreted as the ability and desire to accept the situation as it is, and a tolerant attitude to something unpleasant is emphasized. Relevant for informants is the manifestation of patience and perseverance in overcoming unpleasant, negatively evaluated situations.
Consider the reflection of the assessment in the interpretation of the word tolerance (see table. 1). In the English group of informants, the main one is the normative assessment, it is defined in 30 reactions. For example: tolerance-to accept as it is, to put up with an unpleasant situation, activity. Ethical evaluation is expressed in 24 reactions: to others, patience, fortitude. Emotional and intellectual evaluations are presented in almost equal numbers. Emotional evaluation is defined in 6 reactions: positive, calm. Intellectual assessment - in 8 reactions: understanding, accept dissent, ability to manage yourself, non-conflict, tolerance.
Conclusion
The analysis of the results shows that the interpretation of the word tolerance in English group is dominated by normative assessment (42 reactions). Ethical evaluation is expressed in 24 reactions as tolerance is manifested in relation to other people. This suggests that to accept the situation as it is and to put up with negatively assessed circumstances, is a norm, a generally accepted standard based on moral principles in relation to other people in English society.
In much fewer amounts emotional assessment (6 reactions in English) and intellectual assessment (8 reactions in English) are expressed, i.e. in the understanding of English people tolerance is considered as a norm, a standard based on moral principles and is less associated with the manifestation of certain emotional qualities, feelings (endurance, respect) and the suppression of negative emotions and the desire to understand another person as well.
Thus moral and ethical conceptions in English society can be treated as a special form of keeping knowledge and assessments in the culture linguistic consciousness. Studying ethical knowledge and conceptions of modern English people allows national features, perception of nuances of moral and ethical values and personality traits to be revealed.
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Корлякова А. Ф.
Кандидат филологических наук, доцент кафедры английского языка профессиональной коммуникации, Пермский государственный национальный исследовательский университет
Ерофеева Т. И.
Доктор филологических наук, профессор кафедры теоретического и прикладного языкознания, Пермский государственный национальный исследовательский университет
ТОЛЕРАНТНОСТЬ КАК МОРАЛЬНОЕ И ЭТИЧЕСКОЕ ПРЕДСТАВЛЕНИЕ
В АНГЛИЙСКОМ СОЦИУМЕ
В статье анализируются вопросы, связанные с национальными особенностями оценочного компонента значения слова. В современной научной парадигме язык рассматривается как когнитивный инструмент осознания мира, хранения и репрезентации культурного опыта и ценностей народа. Одной из важных составляющих
языковой картины мира является категория оценки - система ценностей общества и личности, объективированная в единицах языка. Некоторые ученые считают категорию оценки настолько важной для языкового сознания, что наряду с языковой картиной мира отдельно выделяют ценностную картину мира, то есть наиболее существенные для данной культуры смыслы, совокупность которых и образует определённый тип культуры, поддерживаемый языком и сохраняемый в языке. Изучаются вопросы формирования оценочного значения на разных языковых уровнях, однако национальная специфика оценки до сих пор недостаточно изучена. Поскольку оценочные компоненты значения в картине мира являются теми координатами, на базе которых строится мировоззрение человека и конфликт которых приводит к невозможности или сложности взаимопонимания представителей разных культур, исследование оценочного компонента значения и его варьирования в разных социумах представляется весьма актуальным. Статья посвящена результатам лингвистического эксперимента, целью которого была характеристика морально-этических представлений, закреплённых в семантике слова терпимость в английском социуме.
Ключевые слова: семы, моральные и этические представления, оценочный аспект, языковая картина мира.
© Пресс-служба Пермского государственного национального исследовательского университета
