“Viagem e alargamento conceitual” na apropriação do léxico emergente ao estudo das Relações Internacionais

Abstract

This work analyses the lexicon “emerging” in its appropriation as a category of International Relations. It is aimed to delimit a conceptual prototype of term from the connotative spectrum arisen from its denotation of international political subjects. The conceptual prototype of an “Emergent” is delimitated from the analysis of the “conceptual stretching” resulting from the “conceptual travelling” during its appropriation by International Relations. The analyses are constituted of three steps. At first, it is observed the semantic transformations of the lexicon in its original literature, in the light of the underlying historicity of the process. This appropriation is measured through the study of the term frequency of reference in seventeen editorial databases. The ending stage is consisted of labeling “family resemblances” in all publications qualified as A1 and A2 in the Qualis CAPES system that uses the lexicon “Emerging Market”, “Emerging Country” and “Emerging Power”. The analysis reveals that the transformation in the referents of the term “Emerging Markets” bequeath a political meaning for the qualifier, conducting itself to denotate International Relations phenomena. This process is correlated to an expansion of the references to the lexicon in academic journals on the matter. Acknowledging that, the conceptual prototype set the attributes of its essablished use. The work intends to contribute to the concept formation by systematizing its “State of Art” in International Relations. The connotative spectrum of the purposed conceptual prototype is expected to be theoretically hierarchized in further efforts.

KEYWORDS:
emerging powers; emerging countries; emerging markets; conceptual travelling; conceptual stretching