Kucherenko A. Language of Postfolklore in Arabic Media Discourse: Sociolinguistic Dimension.

The present thesis is devoted to the analysis of language variation in the Arabic media discourse. It is mainly focused on the investigation of the basic linguistic characteristics of postfolklore in the internet considering the diglossia and the bilingualism in the Arab world. The rationale for the investigation of postfolklore is explicated through the inherent role of the folk creativity in the online communication. Postfolklore is regarded as a phenomenon existing in parallel with the traditional folklore. However, the postfolklore is significantly affected by the modern technologies, mass culture, globalization, etc. Its distinctive features involve inconstant genres, multiculturalism, social polycentrism, etc. The analysis of the Arabic postfolklore online allowed to distinguish the following thematic groups: society; common family life; personality; politics; financial and economic conditions; moral and religion. It is also proposed to specify borrowed, arabicized and proper Arabic texts (internet memes, anecdotes, modern proverbs, chain letters and urban legends). The Arabic language variation is analyzed in terms of its prestige levels. The studied ethno-cultural communities tend to use the high and middle level varieties representing all Arabs as a single nation and creating the contrast between the non-Arabic reality and the proper Arabic life.