THE AMBIVALENCE OF THE PERCEPTION OF MULTICULTURALISM AS A SOCIAL PHENOMENON IN GERMANY

Abstract

In the most prominent of the German defining dictionaries there is no definition of the term "multiculturalism", which is, however, hotly discussed in all German-speaking mass media. In this report we use linguistic conceptual analysis to investigate this social phenomenon, which opens up the cognitive aspect of the concept and its cultural value for modern German society. The goal of the report is to concretize the definition of the word "multiculturalism" in the modern German language and to find out its paradigmatic and syntagmatic relations. The term "multiculturalism" refers in the German language, on the one hand, to a situation in society, where members of different cultures live together. On the other hand, multiculturalism is defined as coexistence of different cultures, which doesn’t presuppose assimilation. Obviously, these two views differ only by the presence or absence of the meaning component "binding agreement of the coexisting cultures on cross-cultural basis values". These two meanings are probably related to each other as an ideal meaning and an actual meaning. The ideal meaning is fixed in some defining dictionaries, the actual meaning is not found there, it predominates, however, in the modern German language, what syntagmatic and paradigmatic relations of the lexeme Functional aspects of intercultural communication. Translation and interpreting issues. Proceedings. 2019. Volume 6 30 "multiculturalism" show. As contextual synonyms for the word "multiculturalism" function such word-combinations as cultural pluralism and the emergence of parallel societies. In the context are used such antonyms for the word as the attempt to create homogeneous states; monoculturalism and homogenization madness, but also leading culture, integration and assimilation. The syntagmatic environment of the word shows that it is used relatively often in its actual meaning, which is perceived negatively by many native German speakers. The current social situation in Germany suggests that various aspects of the coexistence of different cultures in this country will be certainly discussed hot also in the future. However, in order to avoid the dispute over the meaning and evaluation of the word "multiculturalism", we believe that the meaning of this word should be clarified by agreeing whether the corresponding term contains the meaning component "binding agreement of the coexisting cultures on cross-cultural basis values".