Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities

Substandard vocabulary traditionally serves as a marker of territorially and socially specific communication. We decided to examine this feature from a new angle and study the characteristics of substandard vocabulary functioning in the context of conflict communication in various online communities...

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Main Authors: V. A. Shulginov, S. A. Kudrjashov
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPA 2025-03-01
Series:Шаги
Subjects:
Online Access:https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/246
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author V. A. Shulginov
S. A. Kudrjashov
author_facet V. A. Shulginov
S. A. Kudrjashov
author_sort V. A. Shulginov
collection DOAJ
description Substandard vocabulary traditionally serves as a marker of territorially and socially specific communication. We decided to examine this feature from a new angle and study the characteristics of substandard vocabulary functioning in the context of conflict communication in various online communities. The aim of our research is to identify the statistical distribution of invective vocabulary across thematic groups, as well as to describe the mechanisms behind the transition of standard vocabulary to substandard, taking into account the specifics of intragroup values and ideologies. For this purpose, we compiled a dataset of comments from online communities of vegans/vegetarians and radical feminism, the processing of which took two iterations: on a sample of 10,548 comments, we identified lexical groups, and then we examined their distribution and actual functioning on a dataset of 958,591 comments. Analysis of the data showed that the formation of active clusters of substandard vocabulary in online communities is determined by group attitudes and can serve as a marker of its values both at the micro and macro levels. In the vegan/vegetarian community, vocabulary condemning meat consumption predominates, as well as appealing to the mental characteristics of opponents. In the radical feminist community, gender-oriented invectives and zoometaphors are more commonly used. The study also revealed differences in the intensity and regularity of conflict discourse reproduction, which may indicate varying degrees of community boundary permeability. The results obtained allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms of substandard vocabulary formation in the online space and can be used for further study of the dynamics of virtual community development.
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spelling doaj-art-46209ba5733341b0ade11d64ad8d16c92025-08-20T03:51:13ZengRussian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration. RANEPAШаги2412-94102782-17652025-03-0111119220510.22394/2412-9410-2025-11-1-192-205235Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communitiesV. A. Shulginov0S. A. Kudrjashov1Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики»Национальный исследовательский университет «Высшая школа экономики»Substandard vocabulary traditionally serves as a marker of territorially and socially specific communication. We decided to examine this feature from a new angle and study the characteristics of substandard vocabulary functioning in the context of conflict communication in various online communities. The aim of our research is to identify the statistical distribution of invective vocabulary across thematic groups, as well as to describe the mechanisms behind the transition of standard vocabulary to substandard, taking into account the specifics of intragroup values and ideologies. For this purpose, we compiled a dataset of comments from online communities of vegans/vegetarians and radical feminism, the processing of which took two iterations: on a sample of 10,548 comments, we identified lexical groups, and then we examined their distribution and actual functioning on a dataset of 958,591 comments. Analysis of the data showed that the formation of active clusters of substandard vocabulary in online communities is determined by group attitudes and can serve as a marker of its values both at the micro and macro levels. In the vegan/vegetarian community, vocabulary condemning meat consumption predominates, as well as appealing to the mental characteristics of opponents. In the radical feminist community, gender-oriented invectives and zoometaphors are more commonly used. The study also revealed differences in the intensity and regularity of conflict discourse reproduction, which may indicate varying degrees of community boundary permeability. The results obtained allow for a better understanding of the mechanisms of substandard vocabulary formation in the online space and can be used for further study of the dynamics of virtual community development.https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/246substandardspeech aggressionsocial linksonline communitiesinvectiveeveryday speechcommunication strategies
spellingShingle V. A. Shulginov
S. A. Kudrjashov
Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
Шаги
substandard
speech aggression
social links
online communities
invective
everyday speech
communication strategies
title Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
title_full Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
title_fullStr Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
title_full_unstemmed Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
title_short Verbal aggression as reflection of group values: A study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
title_sort verbal aggression as reflection of group values a study of substandard lexis in virtual communities
topic substandard
speech aggression
social links
online communities
invective
everyday speech
communication strategies
url https://steps.ranepa.ru/jour/article/view/246
work_keys_str_mv AT vashulginov verbalaggressionasreflectionofgroupvaluesastudyofsubstandardlexisinvirtualcommunities
AT sakudrjashov verbalaggressionasreflectionofgroupvaluesastudyofsubstandardlexisinvirtualcommunities