POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN ONLINE COMMUNICATIONS OF LOCAL COMMUNITIES: INTEGRATIVE AND CONFLICT ASPECTS (BASED ON MATERIALS FROM THE KRASNODAR REGION)

Abstract

An analysis of political discourse in online communications of urban and rural communities in Krasnodar Krai was conducted to identify key conflictual and integrative dynamics and their formation mechanisms, based on Telegram discussions of several high-profile events in 2024. The study is grounded in the framework of critical discourse analysis (N. Fairclough, T. van Leeuwen). The research methodology combines quantitative content analysis with a three-level critical discourse analysis of the text corpus, mapping legitimation and delegitimation strategies and their links to affective patterns. The empirical basis of the study consists of 10,002 Telegram comments from local community channels in Krasnodar, Sochi, the Seversky and Temryuk districts of Krasnodar Krai. The analysis revealed a dominance of negative discourse tonality, reflecting low trust in state institutions. Digital platforms show increasing polarization alongside emerging channels of civic integration. In urban communities, discourse is dominated by delegitimation of managerial decisions and cohesion around environmental and urban values, while rural discourse is more personalized and conflictual, reinforcing "us vs. them" and ethnic framing. Conflictual episodes in digital communication play both disruptive and integrative roles, fostering civic agency and solidarity. Overall, online communities reflect public sentiment and enable bottom-up legitimation, protest, and new civic identities.