Semantics of the Pandemic in Russian Comic Folklore

Abstract

Introduction. The fact that the representation of COVID-19 in folklore is a reflection, fixation, translation, and illocution of the ethnic semantics of the pandemic determined the relevance of my investigation. Studying COVID-related folklore allows us to understand the current norms and values prevailing in the Russian superethnos, the attitude of various socio-demographic groups to the changes taking place in society, realities, and events correlating with the pandemic, and violations of the generally accepted normative value system revealed by the changed living conditions. No one has carried out such studies yet. My work aims to investigate the semantics of the COVID-19 pandemic in folklore; namely, to determine the social content and grounds, assessments, and self-assessments of social groups in the Russian semantic picture of the pandemic, as well as the functions performed by comic folklore concerning the pandemic. Materials and Methods. I chose anecdotes as the material for the study because those are forms of folklore that clearly and succinctly reflect sociality and ethnic semantics. I applied the method of random sampling to select 1 000 Russian-language jokes distributed on the Internet in 2020–2021 and associated with the pandemic. I carried out my research within the framework of analytical philosophy using the comparative historical method, which allowed me to select relevant material, the method of quantitative and qualitative content analysis, which allowed me to systematize the data obtained, as well as general scientific methods of comparison, comparison, and classification, which provided interpretation of the results and formulation of conclusions. Results. I revealed the content and the foundations of comic COVID-related folklore in socio-demographic, socio-political, socio-economic, socio-migration, and socio-cultural contexts. I determined social assessments of various phenomena, events, and behaviors associated with the pandemic. Discussion and Conclusions. I defined epistemological, ontological, logical, logical-linguistic, and historical social functions of Russian pandemic-related folklore. I revealed the following reasons for the comic representation of the pandemic: pessimism and tension in society, the discontent of the inhabitants with the insufficient effectiveness of anti-pandemic measures and the lack of state support, the deterioration of the economic situation of citizens, as well as the degradation of people and relationships, culture and schools revealed during the pandemic, the growing absurdness of life in general.