AN INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH TO THE CONCEPT OF MULTICULTURALISM

Abstract

Until the last quarter of the 20th century, the human factor was neglected in the study of linguistic phenomena. It was only during this period anthropocentrism came to the forefront, and as a result, several new directions in linguistics were formed. Scientists began to study linguistic phenomena in the unity of concepts formed in the human mind through the interaction of language and culture, and reality. The concept is formed as a result of cognitive processes taking place in the mind and is represented in discourse through verbal and non-verbal means. The concept of "multiculturalism" possesses a complex content structure, characterized in some cases by its multilayered meanings and the most diverse possibilities of representation. This makes it difficult to schematically model it in the spatial algorithm of the "center – periphery – associative field" type. This concept finds its reflection and expression possibilities in practically all spheres of public life in both British and Azerbaijani societies and, accordingly, is realized in these areas through many verbal and non-verbal means. In this regard, the most significant feature of the concept of "multiculturalism" is its dynamic nature, since it is shaped within a communicative situation. The concept of "multiculturalism" as a phenomenon that resists to unambiguous interpretation and evaluation in various situational and verbal contexts in which it is verbally represented has a high evaluative potential. The process of explication of the concept of "multiculturalism" is a complex phenomenon shaped by various ideological interpretations of its content potential. Consequently, the conceptualized field of "multiculturalism" is represented in media discourse contexts with varying degrees of expressiveness, ideologically conditioned positive or negative evaluations. The conceptualized field of "multiculturalism", as the sphere of realization of the concept of the same name, in reality becomes quite diverse influenced by discursive factors across different types of communicative production.