CONSTRUCTING IDEOLOGICAL DISCOURSE IN INFORMATION SOCIETY

Abstract

Introduction. Recently, discussions about the role and significance of ideology, about its capabilities 
as a socio-political regulator, about the causes of aggregation of destructive ideologies in political discourse 
and possible ways to counteract their influence have become more relevant. At the same time, the multidimensional nature and ambiguity of the concept of ideology itself, the peculiarities of its functioning 
as a type of mass political discourse, the risks of ideological construction arising in this regard in the conditions of the information society are often overlooked.
Methods. The research is based on the methods of neo-institutional (discursive and constructivist institutionalism) and discursive analysis, socio-cognitive approach. The author proceeds from the understanding of ideology as a complex, hybrid cognitive-discursive social phenomenon, which, on the one hand, 
is conditioned by social values, needs, expectations, social characteristics of various political actors, 
on the other hand, is based on discursive practices of influencing public consciousness. The empirical basis 
of the research consists of the current data from cross-country comparative sociological studies and public 
opinion monitoring.
Results. The author systematizes the key features of ideology as a type of mass political discourse, the factors influencing the relevance of ideology at the present stage, the features of the functioning of ideology 
as a type of discourse in the information society, the risks associated with it. It is noted that in the conditions 
of transformation of classical political institutions, rethinking of their functions and tasks, the continuing 
high degree of uncertainty and increasing competition of the agendas of political actors adhering to different (sometimes even conflicting) values, the demand for ideology as a form of political discourse will only 
increase. At the same time, the active diffusion of information technologies into various spheres of society, 
and in a number of countries the increasing influence of economic agents on political processes, shadowization of the political elites formation, strengthening of the emotional component in politics lead to an aggravation of the risks of inversion interpretation of ideological concepts and destructive ideological influence. The author suggests possible ways to eliminate these risks.
KEYWORDS: ideology, ideological construction, political discourse, information society, mass political participation, political institutions, political values