Lexical pragmatic indicators of conflictogenicity in the information field of migration: Mexico - USA (based on Mexican social media)

The purpose of this study is to systematize the lexical pragmatic indicators of conflictogenicity (LPICs) used in Mexican user-generated content in the context of migration. The growth of anti-American attitudes caused by the speeches of D. Trump and his followers, as well as the socio-economic consequences of the influx of relocants from the USA to Mexico and their arrogant behavior contribute to the further formation of the image of the “Alien” in the Mexican linguistic picture of the world by the linguistic means of the conflictogenicity category. The study is based on user comments posted on the Mexican segment of Reddit, a popular online platform that combines the features of a social network and a forum where people can discuss various issues. About 3,000 comments posted over the past six years have been analyzed. The succession of two U.S. presidents during this period has had a great impact on the U.S. migration policy and its relations with Mexico. The LPICs were selected by the solid sampling method. Contextual method, method of communicative analysis, methods of component and pragmasemantic analysis were used too. As a result of the analysis, for the first time, the LPICs involved in the linguistic objectification of the image of the “Alien” in Mexican user-generated content – an English-speaking light-skinned foreigner – were identified and systematized. Both LPICs that initially have a negative connotation (invective and non-invective words of negative-evaluation): arrogant, greedy, invader, racist, disrespects Mexico, and LPICs that acquire it in ethno-cultural, socio-economic and personality-oriented contexts: Americans, English, English speakers, Mexico is a cheap country, etc. The increase in the density of LPICs used when discussing certain topics indicates the growing level of social tension in this sphere of public life.

lexical pragmatic indicators, conflictogenicity, migration crisis, user-generated content, comments, social media, virtual communication, cognitive base, linguistic picture of the world, we-they opposition