LANGUAGE REPRESENTATION OF YOUTH HEALTH CONCEPT IN INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTIONAL DISCOURSE

Abstract

Anastasia Atabekova

Purpose of the study: combines the study of academic publications and the analysis of verbal representation of youth health concept in the institutional organisations discourse; the research explores conceptual structure of youth health phenomenon, its complexity and density in the mentioned discourse, identifies the hierarchical relations of the concepts that shape the cognitive-semantic structure of the youth health phenomenon in the international institutional discourse.
Methodology: integrates theoretical and empirical analysis, exploits quantitative and qualitative techniques, uses frame-based and corpus – based approach to explore the cognitive-semantic structure of concept under study and its language representation within various institutional settings. The content-based analysis, manual and computer automated coding techniques were used. The digital processing package of QDA Minor Lite was applied.
Main Findings: international institutional discourse introduces youth health phenomenon as conceptual macrostructure; it integrates hierarchical network of 112 semantic units including 12 major concepts, which are further represented by smaller constituent components that use fixed language tools; respective texts differ by their conceptual structure, its complexity and density; the features differ in variables whose configuration in a particular text refers to a specific socio-political settings, purposes, genres.
Applications of this study: it can be useful for administrative-legal drafting on youth-health issues as the findings contribute to language use refinement and quality of international institutional discourse to foster the concept of youth health representation globally and implement it into regional and national legislation; the results can also serve for further interdisciplinary studies of discourse as a verbal semiotics of reality.
Novelty/Originality of this study: existing knowledge on the international institutional discourse content related to youth health is enhanced through the identification of fixed language tools that verbalise its conceptual hierarchical structure; readers are offered structured data on the topics and concepts that form the agenda of the international organisations communication on the youth health.