Chinese Linguistic Worldview as an Example of Socio-Cultural Transformations

Abstract

The aim of the work is to analyze the shifts in the Chinese linguistic worldview caused by recent globalization processes. Using the method of corpus data analysis and reference to lexicographic sources, the lexemes 家庭 jiātíng ‘family, home’, 个人 gèrén ‘personality’/个性 gèxìng ‘individuality’ and 自由 zìyóu ‘freedom’ were investigated in more than 700 contexts. As a result, a table of the nominative density of the declared lexical units was obtained, allowing to compare linguistic changes with extralinguistic factors. The data of the study demonstrate, on the one hand, the tendencies to preserve local cultural values while simultaneously testing some ideas of Western civilization. So, one might conclude that the Chinese are beginning to adopt, at least verbally, the concepts of “freedom” and “individuality” as they exist in the West, or at least the verbal behavior in which they are expressed. Considering the leading role of the Chinese party and its adoption of advisory initiatives to preserve and promote traditional culture, it can be said that despite all the socio-economic changes, it is unlikely that globalization will lead to fundamental changes in the very foundations of Chinese culture.