Perceptions of Corporeal Dimension of Beauty in Various Discourses of the Russian Linguoculture

Abstract

The article set out to explore the ways in which the corporeal dimension of beauty is represented in medical and internet discourses of the Russian linguoculture. The importance of the phenomenon being studied is associated with a significant role of the corporeal dimension in constructing the linguistic world view and building language awareness of the Russian-language homo communicans. Using the explanatory potential of the word 'concept' we identified that the corporeal dimension is formed by semantic, axiological and imagery components and is incorporated into the Beauty concept. The medical discourse provides an objective presentation of the morphological parameters of the body, which can be graduated on the basis of mathematical symbols. Within the internet discourse, corporeal beauty is subjectively interpreted and is conceptualized as changeable, achievable, natural and a launch pad to success. The axiological component is conceptualized in the studied discourses in various ways. Within the medical discourse, the corporeal dimension correlates with the physiological norm, while in the internet discourse it is associated with evaluation statements of the Russian linguoculture. The imagery is conceptualized by means of icons in both discourses. The findings of the study, which shed light on the ways the corporeal dimension of the Beauty concept is represented in different discourses, may become a tool for elucidating the patterns of verbal behavior associated with aesthetic appreciation, and a means of facilitating intercultural communication.