ANTITHETICAL IDENTITY FORMATION IN THE STRATEGIC NARRATIVES OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION

Abstract

The objective of this article is to analyse collective identity formation as a strategic narrative, focusing on a specific case where identity is formulated by casting the enemy as antithetic. The article outlines discursive strategies that justify and preserve an antithetical identity and describes the inherent dangers of these strategies, the prime example being a potential security dilemma. The author also proposes ways to relieve these kinds of security dilemmas. The theoretical framework is illustrated with a brief meta-analysis of the foreign policy discourse of Russia, foregrounding its strategic narratives and their antithetical dimension.