The socio-cultural dimension of the "culture of cancellation" as a phenomenon of the XXI century

Akopov Grigorii Leonidovich Doctor of Politics Professor; Director of Moscow State Technical University of Civil Aviation (Rostov branch) 344009, Russia, Southern Federal District, Rostov-On-Don, 262 Sholokhova str. ag078@icloud.com Arutiunian Elina Gegamovna Graduate student; Department of International Journalism; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9 elieli-99@mail.ru Gromova Lyudmila Petrovna Doctor of Philology Professor; Department of History of Journalism; St. Petersburg State University 199034, Russia, Saint Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab., 7/9 s.nikonov@spbu.ru

Petrosyan David Vladimirovich Doctor of Philology Professor; Department of New Media and Communication; Yerevan State University 0025, Armenia, Yerevan, Alek Manukyan str., 1 davidpetrosyan@ysu.am

Introduction

The concept of "cancellation culture" is firmly fixed in the language resource of modern journalists and media analysts, this vocabulary unit activates a significant interest in in-depth research in domestic and foreign discourse. The "culture of abolition" as a phenomenon arose in the public environment of the United States and Europe at the turn of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as an instrument of social justice, which is presented as a modern form of ostracism that allows manipulating public opinion. The social practice "culture of abolition", already called in modern society, contains prerequisites that are characteristic of the philosophical idea in the history of the formation of human progress ^[11]. Therefore, within the framework of the study, it is necessary to trace the process of emergence and the stages of formation of this terminology.

The purpose and methods of the study

The purpose of the article is to analyze the emergence and stages of development of the phenomenon of "cancellation culture". The proposed goal involves the use of several appropriate approaches and methods. The article uses conceptual analysis, sociolinguistic analysis and intent analysis.

The results of the study

It is advisable to consider in more detail the views of the Frankfurt school philosophers T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer, described in the work "Dialectics of Enlightenment". The authors analyze the cult as a part of the industry, arguing that the dominant function of this area is occupied by the mass media. As part of the study of the phenomenon of "cancellation culture", the analysis of the concept of scientists is relevant, because, firstly, we consider the phenomenon of "cancellation" as part of the modern industry, and secondly, we analyze the factors influencing the choice of the audience, which also meets the stated purpose of our research.

To begin with, let us note that the "Dialectic of Enlightenment" explores and criticizes the basic principles and effects of Enlightenment. The authors put forward the thesis that the enlightenment process, initially aimed at spreading knowledge, has taken on a negative character, which manifests itself in a new form of degradation of human thinking and oppression. T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer believe that reason, which was supposed to serve as a tool for liberation, becomes, on the contrary, a means of control and domination. One of the key topics in the work of philosophers is the criticism of the culture of mass production and consumption of information from the media and the media, reflected in the section "Culture industry". It should be noted that for the first time the concept of "culture industry" was introduced by theorists in the work "Dialectics of Enlightenment". According to philosophers, the cultural industry is a systemic industrial apparatus that produces uniform, standardized products in such fields as art, painting, literature, cinema, etc. The cultural industry does not consist of value orientations, nor is it aimed at spiritual enrichment and enlightenment for man and society as a whole, but is a product of business, that is, the theses of theorists should be understood as follows: culture is considered as a type of commodity having a producer and consumer, represented by the masses, who are the object of manipulation through standardization. It can be said that by initiating false needs, the culture industry transforms an active consumer into a passive layman ^[6].

T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer say that mass culture is aimed at standardizing thinking and eliminating individuality, modifying culture into a commodity for consumption, which is broadcast in the media. Let's add that the propaganda of a certain ideology is an idiom or, in other words, a "style" of the cultural industry. This process leads to the fact that society becomes passive and conformal, that is, the behavior and views once inherent in an individual change under the influence of pressure from another person or group of people, which, in turn, leads to the strengthening of the power of the dominant elites, as well as suppressing critical thinking. Analyzing this problem, theorists call for the special importance of understanding such processes and finding solutions to authenticity and critical dialogue in culture and society. Philosophers also draw a parallel between how an enlightened society can be used as a tool to strengthen power and control under the influence of the ruling elites. T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer state that to promote a certain ideology and maintain dominance, the government uses education and the media, and such a vector of movement can lead to the creation of a one-dimensional society, in particular which suppresses alternative views and critical thinking.

Reflecting on the problem, T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer propose the concept of instrumental reason, which, in their opinion, leads to the fact that human relations and nature become objects of control and manipulation – all aspects of life are devalued and are a tool for achieving certain goals. It should be noted that the criticism of instrumental reason in the "Dialectic of Enlightenment" is inextricably linked with technological and scientific progress in society. Theorists point out that science and technology, being products of enlightenment, can serve as an instrument of domination and control, and in the absence of critical reflection and a humanistic approach, technological progress can cause a loss of individual choice and humanity. Therefore, T. Adorno and M. Horkheimer call for the need and importance of rethinking the function of intelligence and science in society, striving to enhance more equitable and humane interaction.

Let's consider the key idea of the research by sociologists R. Inglehart and K. Welzel, the concept of which can be traced in the analysis of the culture of cancellation. Scientists have studied the process of transformation of people's values that affect economic development, the establishment of democracy and the quality of life of citizens in different countries of the world. The outstanding map of cultural orientations is a significant contribution to the study of anthropology, demonstrates the resilience of cultural zones to change, their stability and integrity (The Inglehart-Welzel World Cultural Map – World Values Survey [Electronic resource]. – Access mode: WVS Database (worldvaluessurvey.org ) (date of application: 05.05.2024). For example, if religion is a significant indicator for one society, then one can assume how firmly national pride, respect for authority, and traditional upbringing of children within the society itself will be developed. For other societies that compete for resources, price control and discipline are important, and for post–materialistic societies, tolerance, trust and freedom are important.

Thus, the map of cultural orientations demonstrates that in the society of the whole world there are shifts from social conformity and reverence for authority to the ideas of self-knowledge and civic participation. This trend leads to the popularization of greater democracy, so people become more tolerant of atypical lifestyles and less controlled by the authority of different hierarchies, including political and religious ones. In the study, R. Inglehart notes that the older generation mainly shared materialistic values, while the younger ones shared post–materialistic values, that is, they took physical and economic survival for granted, for which they should not compete, since they grew up during the post-war "economic miracle" ^[9]. Also, the first results of sociologists have recorded that the cultural orientation of society in different countries is dynamically transforming. There is a decrease in the legitimacy of hierarchical power, patriotism, and the importance of religion, but the cult of self-realization is rapidly growing, as well as the desire to participate in politics and in socio-social processes. In this context, we can note that influence and manipulation through the media is effective only if the rhetoric of the media coincides with the value orientations of a certain society.

One of the most significant references to the "cancellation culture" also deserves attention. In the scientific heritage of the theory of mass communication, there is the concept of the "spiral of silence" by researcher E. Noel-Neuman, which characterizes the algorithm of the influence of the group's opinion on the communication process and the determination of the subject to publicly express a personal position ^[4]. The Anglo-American political scientist P. Norris is also developing this idea in this direction. The researcher, considering the culture of cancellation as a mechanism, activates the "spiral of silence", but only in the media space. P. Norris argues that regularly suppressed opinions take the opposite form, since the dynamic flow and their activation is carried out at the expense of communities reflecting a statistically unrepresentative majority, but an active minority. Such a process activates issues in public discourse that initially appeared on the periphery of public discussion. According to P. Norris, the theorist analyzes such a situation from both a positive and a negative position ^[5]. A favorable aspect is that one can notice within the discussion in the social space the mutual respect of users for each other's opinions. On the other hand, the same participants in the online dialogue become part of the concept of the "new normality", that is, a certain point of view of the subject of communication does not provide for the presence of an opposing opinion and critical assessment. Thus, the actors of the online discussion ignore active participation in such a process when they realize that their opinion contradicts the position of the majority.

Let's pay attention to the idea of the scientist T. Mathisen, who presented a new form based on the allegorical image of the "Panopticon". So, Synopticon is a model that takes into account the impact of the media. The theorist assumed that in the conditions of dynamic mediatization, the number of "observers" increased, which means that if a subject with a personal account on social networks can actively observe other users. Thus, the "Synopticon", which is a form of social life mediated by information technologies, affects the process of forming a "culture of cancellation".

Currently, the instrument of the "culture of cancellation" is any of the mass media (newspapers, TV, social networks, etc.), with the assistance of which a condemnation campaign is carried out, which, in turn, causes a response from the public. However, it is important to clarify here that the development of digital technologies and the expansion of Internet accessibility have the most significant impact on the process of cancellation culture. So, by "canceling" a person, the actors of this "procedure" unsubscribe from him on social networks, stop purchasing products of certain brands accused of some kind of discrimination, and also agitate their audience, for example, friends or subscribers, using social networks to follow a similar example. Note that in this example, the "culture of abolition", which we described above as a tool for protecting the rights of minorities, has transformed into a subject of harassment and social boycott ^[2].

Now the "cancellation culture" has taken the form of mass media companies, for example, such as #MeToo ("Me too"), #BLM ("Black Lives Matter" – "Black lives matter"), #IsOverParty ("The party is over"), etc., which significantly affect a person's reputation in independence It depends on the court's decision whether he is found guilty or not. As mentioned above, participants in the "culture of abolition" began to resort to discrimination and oppression of a person or group of persons, despite the fact that initially the "culture of abolition" was aimed at eliminating any kind of social pressure. To confirm the previous statement, it is appropriate to give an example of the judgment of a social psychologist and a specialist in matters of morality and morality, J. Haidt. The theorist believes that the culture of cancellation as a phenomenon was formed on the basis of the conventionally named "cult of safety" on American university campuses and campuses, declaring intolerance and taboo of any opinion that can be interpreted as racist, sexist, etc. ^[3]. In other words, initially focused on protecting the ideals of liberal values and freedoms, the "culture of abolition" actually began to destroy what it was aimed at protecting.

Media has not only become a platform for information exchange, but also a source of development of individual digital cultures and social movements, which, in turn, forms a collective consciousness. As a person's thoughts and ideas synchronize with other mediated connections on social networks, it becomes increasingly difficult to adapt ideas that contradict the dominant ideological mood. It can be said that under such conditions, digital media form a spiral consisting of the opinions and views of like-minded people. In academic discourse, this process has been called "echo chambers".

Media researchers define "echo chambers" as an environment in which users' positions, views, and beliefs about a topic develop as a result of systematically repeated interactions with other users or sources with similar views. Such a model of social media development, which separates users of opposing views from each other, has an impact on social communication and the evolution of public debate. According to the theory of collective polarization, the echo chamber acts as a mechanism that strengthens the existing position in the group and, as a result, provokes the whole team to adopt a more radical position ^[1].

New media act as both a popularizer of content and a source of information. On the one hand, the trend is considered from a positive point of view, but on the other hand, there is a problem of checking the literacy and linguistic correctness of the published material, since the process of promoting information or speech structures, as well as the dynamics of the use of new varieties of words, affect the characteristics of the rhetoric used by an individual and demonstrate a characteristic change in society.

The "culture of cancellation" has been discussed in the West since the late 2010s, but the phenomenon has acquired a new meaning after the events associated with the beginning of the SVO. The scientific works of the researchers have shown that the concept of "cancellation culture" means the complete elimination, "withdrawal" of a certain culture from sociocultural discourse ^[8]. However, there remains a gap in the disclosure of this phenomenon precisely as a concept in language, culture and modern social processes.

Let's consider the concept in the interpretation of Russian discourse, where the phenomenon of "culture of abolition" highlights the aspect of discrimination against a person belonging to a certain culture. We emphasize that in our study, the proposed concept is considered not only from the perspective of lignocultural analysis, but also as a perception and interpretation of this term in Russian discourse.

So, when viewing this or that content on social networks, the subject pays more attention to exactly what corresponds to his worldview, to some extent unconsciously ignoring what does not coincide with his inherent picture of the world. As a person's thoughts and ideas synchronize with other mediated connections on social networks, it becomes increasingly difficult to adapt ideas that contradict the dominant ideological mood. It can be said that under such conditions, digital media form a spiral consisting of the opinions and views of like-minded people.

Currently, the "culture of abolition" is perceived as an effective tool for shaping the discourse of power, where the actor is the party apparatus, guided by propaganda activity, pursuing certain interests, activating negative connotations, for example, conflicting actions or hostility. Let's add that, according to researcher A.F. Fefelov, "cancellation" can be considered as a kind of "vocalism" (from English: "wokeness"). This term is interpreted as a mobilizing force, an expression of a social position only if a person is sensitive and susceptible to political injustice. The trajectory of "vocalism" affects the general public and is based on a sense of moral superiority, however, it should be noted that within the framework of our study, the broadcast content in the media and traditional media is a manifestation of Russophobia not in a strictly scientific sense ^[12]. Russian Russian researcher A. Kirzyuk believes that after the outbreak of the special hostilities, the content of this concept has significantly expanded: Russophobia is understood not only as a negative attitude towards Russia as a political institution, but also hostility towards native speakers of the Russian language and Russian culture. For example, until now, the impact has been carried out without the participation of government agencies, which, in turn, can be brought to court ^[10]. In real time, not only the economy and cultural heritage, but also Russian-speaking citizens found themselves under sanctions from a number of Western countries. Also, the theorist A.V. Boyko emphasizes that the practice of canceling reproductions of theatrical or musical works of classical Russian art in Western countries is an element of combating the influence of another culture on human consciousness ^[7]. Against the background of the unfolding events related to the special military operation, it is impossible not to mention the eighth presidential election, which is just a fundamental indicator of the consolidation of Russian society during the period of the abolition of Russian culture (Ella Pamfilova: The presidential elections showed that the Russian people are united. – [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://rg.ru/2024/03/18/prishli-ivybrali.html?ysclid=lwcefha6vz858437150 (accessed 08.05.2024). Thus, according to the CEC, 77.44% of those who voted in the elections were recorded in the recent history of Russia. This figure exceeded the turnout for 2018, which was 67.47%. It should also be noted that ethnic Russians living outside the Russian Federation voted for Vladimir Putin. So, in particular, the embassies of Russia of a number of foreign countries recorded the following indicators: in Germany, the percentage of votes was 56.82%, in Estonia – 75.22%, Latvia – 70.6%, in Australia – 53.6%, in the USA – 42.23%, in Washington – 63.33%. Given the "collectivization of the West" and the sanctions that abolish Russian culture, we can say that this example is indicative of the question of whether the culture of abolition can only have a negative impact on society. As noted above in the study, initially the mission of "cancellation" was to influence negative situations in society, but after a while, using the culture of cancellation as a tool of manipulation, they began to suppress the rights of people belonging to a certain culture, etc. In this case, we can conclude that, using the example of Russia during the period of its abolition, the culture of abolition provided an opportunity for Russian citizens to unite during the presidential elections both inside and outside the country, thereby supporting V. Putin's policy and position in a number of foreign countries of the world. Here, of course, it is important to touch upon the transformation of the information discourse against the background of ITS implementation. In this case, we can also consider the holding of an information campaign from a number of Western countries, which, of course, implies an information war as a consequence of the mediatization of socio-political reality (Ella Pamfilova: The presidential elections showed that the Russian people are united. – [Electronic resource]. – URL: https://rg.ru/2024/03/18/prishli-ivybrali.html?ysclid=lwcefha6vz858437150 (accessed 08.05.2024). It is important to note the algorithm of functioning of social networks, which has simplified the dissemination of unverified information – media platforms offer content based on what users have previously viewed. This leads to the fact that watching one, for example, a video with disinformation, spreads the demonstration of more materials with disinformation. The main mechanism of "cancellation" in the information environment is the removal of Russian users from international media. Conducting a special military operation, and subsequently blocking social networks at the request of Western leaders for users from Russia, is a supposed opportunity to restore the reputation of a number of social networks after the media faced questions about privacy, market dominance and how they distribute controversial content. In other words, Western social media has a chance to show that they can use their technology to benefit global society. For example, Twitter (recognized as an extremist platform and blocked on the territory of the Russian Federation) restricted Russian users from accessing the sale of advertising posts on the platform, and also stated that it would mark all messages containing links to Russian state media (Twitter will mark information from Russian state media, 2022. [electronic resource]. – Access mode: https://tass.ru/obschestvo/13904831 (date of application: 05/08/2024).

Social networks have become one of the most significant sources of information for both third-party media users and for a number of official media, as well as a geopolitical moment in relation to some of the world's largest technology companies, as their platforms have become the main fields of information warfare, and data and network services have become important links in the conflict. For example, the "Saint Javelin" support post has spread online. The illustration represents the Virgin Mary, dressed in blue and gold clothes, who is holding Javelin in her hands. It is important to specify that the prototype for creating the image was a 2012 work by American artist Chris Shaw, in which Madonna holds a Kalashnikov assault rifle. In 2018, an unknown user of the Russian social network VKontakte "The Greatest creations and people of the Ukrainian Nation" published a similar art post, in which, instead of a machine gun, Madonna holds a rocket launcher in her hands. The post, of course, began to be distributed, but in 2018 the publication did not receive mass international distribution. Already 4 years later, in 2022, the publication acquired large-scale coverage with subsequent monetization. So, in 2022, an employee of the American Shopify platform, journalist Christian Boris, gave the image worldwide publicity by creating a website (https://linkpop.com/saintjavelin ) with appropriate products to support Ukrainian charities and the army. According to data for 2022, the website of K. Boris Saint Javelin collected more than 1.5 million, which were subsequently sent to help Ukraine. It should be noted that most of the goods were purchased not by the Ukrainian population, but by consumers of Western media.

Conclusions

The concept of "culture of cancellation" can be considered as a tool for manipulating society, in this case, the process of deformation by the conceptual sphere of the ethnocultural dominant of the subject or society as a whole is analyzed. Similar phenomena are observed in the examples of ethnocultural groups, when certain events occur in the surrounding reality that affect the consciousness of the subject. Negative facts have an impact on a person, erasing established principles and values from consciousness, in the structure of social relations. Scientists have revealed that, under these circumstances, the concept, as an instrument of influence, is transmitted using information received by a certain ethnocultural group. In the study, we also established that a concept is an algorithm for understanding certain cultures, for example, psychological, historical, cultural, logical–semantic, linguistic, etc. In this regard, the "culture of cancellation" as a concept is a process in which certain ideas arise, which are formed against the background of events in the information and social environment and society. The process of "cancellation culture" is rapidly spreading not only within a single country to achieve certain goals, but also throughout the modern world. The article also tried to consider the key features and mechanisms of the "cancellation culture", which are spread using new technologies, analyzed which algorithms in social networks popularize publications (reposts, "like" marks, "relevant" in the news feed, etc.). In this case, it is especially important to consider the "cancellation culture" in the context of emerging crises between countries, for example, as we mentioned above, against the background of Russia and the collective West, aggravated as a result of a special military operation in Ukraine. In this case, it is not just about the "abolition" of a person, but about the "displacement" of an entire country and its culture from international discourse.