КОНЦЕПТУАЛИЗАЦИЯ БАЛАНСА ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ В ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫХ ГОРОСКОПАХ
КОНЦЕПТУАЛИЗАЦИЯ БАЛАНСА ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ В ПРОФЕССИОНАЛЬНЫХ ГОРОСКОПАХ
Научная статья
Голодная В.Н.*
Невинномысский институт экономики, управления и права, Невинномысск, Россия
* Корреспондирующий автор (verunchik10[at]mail.ru)
АннотацияСтатья посвящена анализу средств концептуализации баланса идентичности средствами астрологического дискурса (на примере профессиональных гороскопов). Идентичность, являясь неким результатом определения человеком себя и своего места в обществе, тем не менее, остается динамичной в течение всей жизни индивида и подвергается изменениям, а в некоторых случаях, и полной трансформации. Согласно гипотезе нашего исследования, одной из наиболее важных причин этой динамичности выступает потребность человека в обретении баланса идентичности, который представляет собой такое взаимоотношение социальной и личной идентичности, при котором человек чувствует свою принадлежность к социальной группе, сохраняя при этом свою уникальность как индивида. Новизна нашей работы состоит в попытке определения баланса идентичности как конечной цели процесса идентичности, длящегося в течение всей жизни человека. В результате исследования было выявлено, что успешный выбор карьеры, концептуализированный средствами астрологического дискурса, проявляется в балансе личностных характеристик индивида, свойственных ему / ей как представителю определенного знака зодиака и социальными возможностями их применения, углубления и развития в том или ином виде профессиональной деятельности, а также выделены положительные и отрицательные стороны восприятия человека сквозь призму астрологических категорий.
Ключевые слова: идентичность, баланс идентичности, профессиональный гороскоп, знак зодиака, метафорическая экспансия, концептуализация.
IDENTITY BALANCE CONCEPTUALIZATION IN CAREER HOROSCOPES
Research article
Nevinnomyssk institute of economics, management and law, Nevinnomyssk, Russia
* Corresponding author (verunchik10[at]mail.ru)
AbstractThe article deals with the issues of identity balance conceptualization in the framework of astrological discourse (on the example of career horoscopes). Identity, being a result of one’s discovery in the society, is nevertheless, dynamic as long as person lives. It means that during the whole period of a person’s life, his or her identity can alter, change or even transform completely. As far as we hypothesize, one of the major reasons for this dynamism is a person natural need for identity balance, which we describe as such a correlation of personal and social elements when an individual is accepted by the social group of his or her choice without having to lose the uniqueness of his or her personality. The novelty of our work is an attempt to define identity balance as a final aim of identity as a life-long process. As a result of our research we have found out that a successful career choice conceptualized by means of astrological discourse, reveals a harmony (balance) of an individual personal qualities as a certain zodiac sign representative and social opportunities to implement, deepen and develop these qualities in this or that career. Both positive and negative sides of perceiving an individual in the framework of horoscopes have also been illustrated.
Keywords: identity, identity balance, career horoscope, zodiac sign, metaphoric expansion, conceptualization.
Identity is central in the picture of a human life. It reflects a person in different “mirrors”, such as gender, ethnic, confessional, political, professional, etc. Identity means a discovery of oneself in the social life one’s representation in this process. A person has a natural need for belonging to a certain group or a social structure whose values, principles and rules of behavior he or she accept as the “right” ones. On the one hand, a society provided fro for a choice of groups to belong to, but on the other, it puts limits and boundaries to an individual’s personality. In other words, in order to be accepted as a full-fledged group member, a person has to alter, adapt or suppress a part of his or her uniqueness.
Identity always involves two participants: a person who needs to gain identity and somebody or something to identify him or herself with, for instance, other people, social groups, objects, processes or events. At the same time, the word “individual” means “different from any other”, so complete and total identification with someone or something else would result in losing one’s individuality and personality.
Although identity is often seen as a result of identification, this result is not final. Identity is never static. It changes, alters and even transforms during a person’s life. We believe that one of the major reasons for this dynamism is a person’s strong desire for the identity balance, which can be described as an ideal correlation between social and personal when a single individual is accepted by a social group he or she wants to belong to without having to lose his or her uniqueness in order to achieve this aim.
In this paper we would like to consider identity balance conceptualization presented in career horoscopes. Work is an essential part of many people’s lives, at least those who have reached their adulthood. Thus, the career choice and professional identity importance can hardly be overestimated. As for the choice of horoscope as a material for our research, there are two major reasons to be mentioned.
First, all types of horoscopes (dating, health, business, family, financial, etc.) as a form of astrological discourse, share a common feature of harmony, or balance between time and space, a person and nature, a person and universe, a person and other people, etc. Actually, the word “horoscope” means “a person’s future, typically including a delineation of character and on the relative positions of stars and planets and planets at the time of that person’s birth”, thus conveying the notion of balance between his or her inborn traits (character), time and place of his or her living (circumstances), and the relation of all these to the universe (the relative positions of stars and planets and planets at the time of that person’s birth).
Second, according to a number of psycholinguists [1, P. 56-58], [3], the reader creates both the meaning and the effect of a text he or she reads. Horoscopes, together with fortune-telling and clairvoyance, are part and parcel of popular magazines and tabloid, Internet sites and blogs and radio programs, and their language has a certain impact on the way we see and percept both ourselves and other people. Consciously or unconsciously, we digest the astrological meaning, thrown at us, even if we chose to reject it [6, P. 73].
The first interesting thing to be mentioned about career horoscopes is that they do not contain any “low” or “non-prestigious” jobs, which can potentially diminish a person’s status in the eyes of other people. Although plumbers are as necessary in real life as lawyers or doctors, no zodiac sign representatives are recommended to become janitors, cleaners, shop assistants, ticket collectors or tractor drivers. As we will see later, all the careers described in these horoscopes potentially give their followers a feeling of being needed and well-respected by the society.
According to the career horoscopes, each zodiac sign corresponds to a certain set of traits and qualities, which would lead their representatives to certain professions, or callings. Let us consider some sources of astrological metaphors expansion and their projection on would-be careers. The first source to be illustrated is the symbols (signs) of zodiac constellations representing animals - Aries (Ram), Capricorn (Goat), Leo (Lion), Pisces (Fish), Cancer (Crab), Scorpio (Scorpion), people - Sagittarius (Archer), Aquarius (Water Bearer), Gemini (Twins), Virgo (Virgin). Libra (Scales) Sagittarius (Archer), Aquarius (Water Bearer), Gemini (Twins), Virgo (Virgin) and an artifact - Libra (Scales).
It is interesting to note that in Old English “zodiac” was “twelf tacna” meaning “the twelve signs”. The word ”tacna” had connotations of rules/subscriptions (tâcnberend - standard-bearer), instructions (tâcnbora - guide) and triteness/banality (tâcni(g)endlic - typical, emblematic [2]. These implications explain why a great number of quite different people sharing the same zodiac sign are advised to make the same career choices.
For example, Libra’s symbol is seals, which are also the symbol of balance and justice. So, this sign representatives would allegedly become good lawyers, police officers and judges as well as diplomats, translators, executive assistants and literary agents [7].
Lion, which is Leo’s constellation sign, is traditionally regarded as a king of animals and beasts, so Leos are recommended either leadership or publicity careers. They are said to make great corporate leaders, politicians and actors [7].
One more astrological images domain-source is the features of the four basic elements (air, fire, water, earth), which are supposed to rule this or that zodiac sign. These simple elements possess both positive and negative qualities, which are metaphorically interpreted in order to describe human behavior, actions and character.
Air is the most basic condition of life existence on the planet. Other planets in our system are lifeless due to the lack of a proper atmosphere. This element is associated with life, happiness and freedom (a breath of fresh air – refreshingly new, different or pleasant; free as the air – happy and untroubled [5]). On the other hand, air is the most abstract element. It cannot be touched, measured or held. Its constant movement is associated with being unreliable and unstable (to build castles in the air – to make plans that can never come true; an airhead – a frivolous or useless person [5]). Thus, the air representatives (Aquarius, Libra, Gemini) are known as independent, unpredictable, freedom-loving and having a constant urge for changes.
To match their personalities air sign representatives are advised to pursue careers requiring a lot of travelling (journalism), constant interaction with the outside world (publicity, communications, teaching) or providing a great deal of freedom and self-employment (freelance writers, graphic artists, novelists) [7].
Fire symbolizes warmth, light and energy (fire – extremely appealing or exciting, awesome; be ball of fire – have energy and enthusiasm [5]), but it is also one of the greatest destroyers (If you play with fire, you get burnt – If you do something dangerous you get hurt; Fire is a good servant and a bad master – You must be careful to use fire wisely and under control so that it will not hurt you [5]). The fire signs (Aires, Sagittarius, Leo) are stereotypically believed to be active, energetic, impulsive, quick-tempered, passionate and generous.
Fire sign people are recommended rather risky and dangerous jobs (military officer) and those demanding lots of physical activity (outdoor guide, fitness trainer). Fire also attracts people due to its light and beauty, so leadership positions (leadership management) are considered to be good them, too. Fire is a source of light, which, in its turn, is often associated with knowledge, so fire sign representatives are successful at such careers as tourism and teaching [7].
Water is essential for life and performs a lot of functions necessary for both humans and other living creatures (You never miss the water till the well runs dry – People are not grateful for what they have till they lose it; to blow smb out of the water – to utterly destroy smb [5]). Still, water remains one of the greatest mysteries for people and its deep nature has not been completely researched (Still waters run deep – one’s appearance and behavior can be deceitful; troubled waters – a situation, circumstances or experience with disorder, difficulty, confusion, stress, etc [5]). Water signs (Pisces, Cancer, Scorpio) are allegedly shrewd, reserved, touchy, loyal to friends and vengeful to enemies.
An ambiguous nature of water accounts for some contrast we can see in the set of careers recommended to water sign representative. Its mystery and hazard extrapolate on Scorpio traits. The best careers for them are connected with discreet, confidentiality, secrecy and wonder. A milder and more generous side of water is to be seen in the characters of Cancers and Pisces. The ideal jobs for these two water sign representatives are linked with caring for other people, sympathy, kindness and selfishness. All bodies of water (lakes, rivers, waterfalls, seas and oceans) are very beautiful. This may be the reason that Pieces (fish actually spend all their lives in water) are also believed to be great at art [7].
Earth is the most known element for people. It is concrete, stable and firm and, in comparison with air, fire and water, the most constant and real (to come down to earth – to become realistic; down-to-earth – practical; salt of the earth – a very good or worthy person [5]). Due to this, earth signs (Capricorn, Virgo, Taurus) are supposed to be practical, pragmatic, sensible and reliable.
Earth sign representatives are believed to be good at practical, “material” careers such as sales, banking, and finance and at routine and even monotonous jobs like a clerk or an accountant as well as at jobs demanding accuracy and precision (architects or engineers) [7].
The notion of professional and personal balance is explicitly expressed in astrological advice and recommendations given in career horoscopes. A job is seen as something to highlight individual traits and qualities and to develop them to the fullest extent: Don’t ignore your talents - play to them; your personality will do the rest; you need a career that matches your personality; don’t let yourself be swayed by promises of cash and power; find careers that allow for some semblance of work-life balance [7].
Possible problems and obstacle a person can face on the way to his or her career success are just mildly hinted at and, according to astrologists, are easy to overcome. For example, Aries may need some time to achieve a leadership position, but the issue is easily solved - do what you do best and map out a set of small, actionable steps that will take you where you want to go. The use of the modal verb “may” conveys the notion that such situation is just a possibility. Taurus can find some obstacles to success due to his or her inflexibility. He or she just needs to take a small effort and will be greatly rewarded - you’ll find happiness in whatever work environment you find yourself in [7].
Horoscopes are notorious for being too abstract and vague. After all, there are millions of people sharing the same zodiac sign and plenty of those who are born on the same day. How can all of them possess similar traits and qualities and how astrological advice can work for them all?
There are some linguistic features used in astrological discourse to appeal to readers despite the obvious ambiguity of the star prognoses. The use of the personal pronoun “you” instead of just naming a zodiac sign and imperative sentences give a favorable impression that the astrologist speaks to a particular person. Modal verbs (can become frustrated and bored, might fit best, you could appraise, can also be fantastic, it may take some time) convey the notion that the given situation is not universal, but rather one of the many other possibilities. Moreover, astrologers position themselves as “guides”, “advisors” and “mentors” leaving the final decision to a person him or herself. Here is an introduction to a career horoscope.
If you’re having trouble deciding what to do with your life, let’s take a look at the top professions for each zodiac sign so that you can enjoy some guidance from above [7].
The conditional structure of the sentence implies that the author does not intend to impose his or her viewpoint on the reader or to somehow influence the career choice, which has already been made. The author’s intention is to guide those who ate still in doubt, so he / she just makes an offer (let’s have a look), which does not call for any commitments. The modal verb “can” prevents the would-be recommendations from sounding omnipotent. In the end, it is the reader who decides what to do or not to do.
To sum up, we would like to highlight the following points.
Identity is both a state and a process. It is relatively static only at a certain time and at a certain place and can change, alter and even totally transform during a person’s life. Identity balance is a final aim of seeking identity, which satisfies a person’s natural desire to be accepted by a social group without having to give up his or her uniqueness as an individual.
Everyday astrological texts analyzed in our work do not reflect life as it really is but rather the way we want it to be. Guiding people on a career choice as a very important part of life, horoscopes are focused on noble, interesting and respected careers for each zodiac sign representative, thus giving us a feeling of being needed by the society.
Professional success, conceptualized in astrological discourse, greatly depends on a harmony between personal traits and job demands. It is explicitly expressed that career choice and development should be well-balanced with personal happiness and needs.
The framework of horoscopes gives people a feeling of being themselves, of belonging and psychological comfort, which come from the balance of personal and social blending in one’s identity. On the other hand, restricting ourselves to astrological categories and rejecting other factors can lead to an oversimplified perception of a person whose identity is a much more complex phenomenon than being a zodiac sign representative.
It should be noted, however, that this very point is implicitly expressed in horoscopes themselves. Certain linguistic features exploited in astrological discourse (modal verbs, imperative mood, conditional structures, forms of address, etc) make astrological prognoses sound just like star advice rather than prescriptions or operative management, thus making a person him or herself responsible for his or her choices, deeds and actions.
| Конфликт интересов Не указан. | Conflict of Interest None declared. |
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