Engineering Mass Media Discourse: Specifics of Dispositif Modeling

This study presents a linguorhetorical reconstruction of the mechanisms of dispositif modeling in texts aimed at popularizing engineering knowledge within mass media, which constitute the periphery of engineering discourse. It is argued that such media texts, by adhering to rhetorical strategies, are designed to foster a new understanding of advanced engineering practices, reshape the traditional image of engineers in the collective consciousness, and enhance the prestige of engineering education. In the preliminary phase of the research, an initial experiment was conducted to verify the prevailing trend among youth of holding stereotypical and outdated perceptions of engineers and their functions. During the main phase of the study, a linguorhetorical reconstruction was carried out to identify the methods and means of implementing the dispositive strategy of text formation, which determines the structural-compositional organization of the text and its persuasive potential. The macrostructure of media texts on engineering, centered around the headline complex, is described; the model-like nature of this macrostructure and its reproducibility are revealed; observations regarding the topical composition of the macrostructure are made. Three models of argumentation that facilitate a renewed perspective on engineering and engineers are reconstructed: models of demonstrative, narrative, and analogical types.