THE IMAGE OF THE FAR EAST IN THE PERCEPTION OF RUSSIAN STUDENTS: RESULTS OF AN ASSOCIATIVE EXPERIMENT

Aim. To conduct a comparative analysis of the image of the Far East in the everyday language consciousness of students in different regions of Russia (within the Far East region and in the western part of the country). Methodology. The methodology of an associative experiment was used in the study. 150 students from the universities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Vladivostok and Khabarovsk participated in the experiment. During the associative experiment 478 reactions to the stimulus word “Far East” were obtained and analyzed. Results. In the course of the study it was discovered that the core of associations of respondents in the “East” group consists of associations of general themes “Nature”, “Motherland” and “Home”. Key associations of respondents in the “West” group are associations of general topics “Nature”, “Natural Resources”, as well as geographical and territorial associations. The total number of associations with neutral and positive connotations is noticeably greater than with the negative ones. The idea of the Far East as “the edge of the world” is not a key one in the minds of young people in both the eastern and western parts of Russia, nor, however, is the idea of the Far East as a promising region. Research implications. The study can be used as illustrative material in courses on sociolinguistics and psycholinguistics. The results of the study can also be applied in the work of groups involved in developing strategies and tactics for creating and promoting the image of the Far Eastern region, both in the Russian and international contexts.