Antigeme as a structural element of the ideological field: theoretical justification and methodology of analysis

The paper introduces and substantiates the “antigeme” concept, which is viewed as a system-forming element of ideological space, in dialectical contradiction with the ideologeme. Antigeme is understood not as a simple opposition, but as a semantic pole constituting the ideological field through tension with the dominant ideologeme. The paper demonstrates the mechanism of antigeme functioning through an analysis of contemporary discursive practices (body positivity vs. healthy lifestyle, eco-activism vs. anthropocentrism, inclusiveness vs. meritocracy). The author proposes a methodology for identifying and analysing antigemes through discourse analysis and the study of linguistic practices. The introduced notion of “antigeme” is an independent analytical category, comparable in level of abstraction to ideologeme.