OCIO-POLITICAL CONTENT AND REGIONAL DISCOURSE OF MODERN RUSSIA: THE ISSUES DISCUSSED BY CITIZENS IN THE ONLINE SPACE AND THE SOLUTIONS OFFERED BY THE CANDIDATES FOR GOVERNOR IN THEIR ELECTION MANIFESTOS (INTERSECTION POINTS AND FAULT LINES)

N. A. Ryabchenko, A. A. Gnedash, O. P. Malysheva, A. A. Shestakova, M. V. Nikolaeva

Natalia A. Ryabchenko. E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0001-6980-2894

Anna A. Gnedash. E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0002-3516-107X

Olga P. Malysheva. E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0001-8285-0508

Anastasia A. Shestakova. E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0003-3233-2029

Maria V. Nikolaeva. E‑mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. ORCID 0000-0001-7002-1497

Kuban State University, Stavropolskaya St., 149, Krasnodar, 350040, Russia.

Acknowledgements. The research was carried out through the financial support of the The Russian Foundation for Basic Research (Department of Humanitarian and Social Science), the research project no. 18-011-00910 entitled (The models and practices of political content management in modern states’ online space in the “the Post-Truth” Era.) (2018–2020).

Abstract. The article presents the findings of a major empirical study into socio-political user-generated content produced in the online space of the 22 constituent entities of the Russian Federation, as well as socio-political content generated by the candidates for governor of th same 22 constituent entities in 2018–2019. The methodological basis of the research into socio-political content and regional discourses of modern Russia is network analysis, whose theoretical basis is the methods of mathematical modelling of social networks and communities. At the second stage, network analysis was enhanced by cultural components of social action (local practices and contexts, discourses, repertoires and norms); therefore, the traditional methodology of mathematical analysis of social networks (i. e. structural network analysis) was supplemented with the methods of relational sociology and linguo-discursive analysis. Linguo-discursive analysis was used to interpret the processes of creation and development of meanings and contexts in political discourse generated both by social networks and communities, and candidates for governor likewise. Parsing of network data and linguo-discursive analysis was applied to research online political content generated in the online space of 22 constituent entities of the RF was carried out via operational hybrid toolset, a computer software program “Structural relational parsing of political content”. The empirical basis of the research comprises the content generated by the communities on Vkontakte social platform (online network communities “Tipichnyj” (“Typical”) representing 22 constituent entities of the RF and online network communities “Podslushano” (“Overheard”) representing 21 constituent entities of the RF), and the lectoral materials of the candidates for the governor in the 22 constituent entities of the RF. The analysis of research findings enabled us to group the regions according to the identified intersection points and fault lines in public discourse and the agenda shaped by the candidates for governor in their election programs. These are a “Zero tension” group, a “Prevention of Tension” group, a “Critical Tension”, and a “Prominent Tension” group. Such research into political content generated by people and governmental representatives in the regional public online space is highly warranted as it provides revolutionary new qualitative and quantitative insights into the socio-political situation of the RF regions; it can be applied to enhance effective communication between the authorities and civil society and allow to identify potential points of growth for protest sentiments capable of developing in online social networks and communities likewise.

Keywords:  online space, socio--politicalcontent,regional discourse, modern Russia,issues discussedby citizens,solutions offeredbythecandidates forgovernor,elections manifestos, parsingofnetworkdata,mathematicalanalysisofsocialnetworks,linguo-discmsiveanalysis, methodsof relationalsociology

DOI:10.31429/26190567-20-4-27-48