Speech aggression as a means of preserving and promoting the Neo-pagan worldview: the case of Rodnoverie

Abstract

The role of verbal aggression in the promotion of specific value-regulatory systems, par­ticularly those of a religious nature, has not been extensively explored in contemporary schol­arship. This study aims to investigate the mechanisms by which verbal aggression is produced and employed as a means of preserving and advancing the Rodnoverie ideology within the Russian-speaking segment of the Internet. To achieve this, a comprehensive methodology is employed, incorporating both functional-semantic and pragma-semantic approaches. The study identifies the motives and conditions under which verbal aggression tends to arise in online discourse. Key speech acts that manifest this aggression—such as insults, rude de­mands, reproach, accusations, mockery, negative evaluations, and ill-wi­shing—are analysed, with hypotheses offered regarding their function and frequency. Furthermore, the study elucidates the composition and nature of the primary goals behind the aggressive speech behaviour of Rodnoverie adherents.

Keywords

• speech aggression
• conflict communication
• speech act
• discrediting
• identity model
• rodnoverie