A CONTRASTIVE STUDY OF ENVIRONMENTAL POLITICAL DISCOURSE IN ENGLISH AND UZBEK RAP SONGS
Keywords:
environmental political discourse; rap discourse; ecological rhetoric; Pragmatics; Discourse Analysis; Critical Discourse Analysis; stylistic devices; ecological protest; contrastive linguistics; English and Uzbek rap songs.Abstract
This study investigates the linguo-pragmatic features of environmental political discourse in contemporary English and Uzbek rap songs through a contrastive analytical framework. The research focuses on “New world water” by Mos Def and “Havo” by Konsta as representative examples of ecological protest discourse in two distinct linguistic and socio-cultural contexts. Employing qualitative discourse analysis, pragmalinguistic interpretation, and stylistic analysis within the framework of critical discourse analysis, the article examines how rap music functions as a medium of environmental awareness, political criticism, and ideological resistance. The findings reveal that both songs construct ecological anxiety through emotionally charged lexical units, metaphorical representations, repetition, and persuasive pragmatic strategies; however, they differ significantly in the degree of direct political confrontation, cultural contextualization, and implicitness of criticism. While the English rap discourse demonstrates explicit anti-capitalist and systemic environmental critique, the Uzbek rap discourse tends to employ indirect socio-pragmatic signaling and culturally embedded ecological imagery. The study further demonstrates that environmental rap discourse serves not only as an artistic expression but also as a powerful communicative instrument shaping ecological consciousness and public perception. The research contributes to the fields of “Pragmatics”, “Discourse Analysis”, “Political linguistics”, and “Contemporary music discourse” studies by expanding contrastive approaches to ecological narratives in rap music.
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Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/6tX7iw_k6zc?si=uzWozxuJD9Ko4ik9
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