The Linguistic and Sociolinguistic Profile Characteristics in Religious Discourses

Abstract

This article presents the results of an interdisciplinary study on respondents' linguistic profiles in relation to their ethnic and religious identities. The research focuses on how ideologemes about religion are perceived in a multilingual and multiethnic society. Since the 1990s, with the onset of sovereign development, societal values related to cultural mapping have shifted. Multilingualism, multiethnicity, and religious diversity contribute to a range of perspectives, leading to both consensus and disagreement. Discussions and communication practices reveal diverse views on key social developments, including the role and influence of religion. The study aimed to identify the linguistic and sociolinguistic profiles of respondents in their perception of religious ideologemes. Conducted at the intersection of sociolinguistics, religious studies, and sociology, the research analyzed sociological survey data and established correlations (using SPSS) between respondents’ connotations of religion and their complex self-identification (ethnic, linguistic, and religious) (N = 1800). Demarcations in understanding religion’s influence and its role were identified in both public and expert consciousness (N = 107). The study employed interdisciplinary sociocultural methods, including discourse analysis, content analysis, correlation analysis, census data analysis, comparative methods, and theoretical reconstruction. This approach allowed the researchers to establish links between the connotations of religion and respondents' multidimensional self-identification, while identifying their linguistic and sociolinguistic typological profiles and value-based distinctions. The findings may be of interest to researchers in contemporary sociolinguistics, the sociology of mass consciousness, and identity studies.