Methodology of cognitive-cultural analysis of a concept in a biographical text
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33910/1992-6464-2026-220-341-351Keywords:
cognitive linguistics, concept, biographical text, cognitive metaphor, conceptual integration, character image, RemarqueAbstract
Introduction. This article focuses on identifying representation mechanisms for key concepts in biographical discourse viewed as a form of cognitive personality modeling. The study pays special attention to the concept WERK and its axiological potential. The study aims to test the author’s original cognitive-cultural analysis methodology designed to explore how concepts are represented and interpreted to structure individual and collective experience in German-language biographical discourse.
Materials and Methods. The research material comprises Als wäre alles das letzte Mal. Erich Maria Remarque. Eine Biographie by Wilhelm von Sternburg. The methodology integrates four analysis levels: lexicographic-definitional, lexical-phraseological, interpretative-metaphorical, and integrative-cognitive. The theoretical framework relies on principles of modern cognitive linguistics and linguoculturology, as presented in the works of Yu. S. Stepanov, V. I. Karasik, E. S. Kubryakova, G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, G. Fauconnier and M. Turner, among others.
Results. At the lexicographic level, the WERK concept reveals a fundamental cognitive dichotomy between the process and product of activity. Lexical and phraseological analysis identifies stable cultural patterns of work perception in German culture. Metaphorical analysis identifies two dominant models: CREATIVITY IS DISEASE and WORK IS STRUGGLE. Integrative analysis shows that work is perceived as an act of self-destruction and a way to find meaning in life. The WERK concept functions as a cognitive matrix that structures the narrative and shapes Remarque’s image as a creative individual who is engaged in a constant existential search and has an internal contradiction between creative duty and personal self-realization.
Conclusions. The multi-level methodology successfully reconstructs the complex semantic and cognitive structure of the WERK concept. The analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of conceptual metaphor and conceptual integration in revealing deep cognitive mechanisms that shape the subject’s image in biographical narrative. The findings confirm the productivity of this methodology for analyzing biographical discourse and can be successfully applied to studying other concepts in various cultural contexts, opening new perspectives for further research in this area.
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