LINGUISTIC INEQUALITY AND SOCIAL INCLUSION IN SOCIAL PROTECTION DISCOURSE EVIDENCE FROM ENGLISH AND UZBEK

Abstract

The present study examines linguistic inequality and social inclusion as two interconnected sociolinguistic dimensions of social protection discourse in English and Uzbek. Social protection is traditionally investigated from legal, economic and institutional perspectives; however, the linguistic mechanisms through which citizens are categorized, addressed and informed about social rights also have considerable social significance. The study employs comparative, descriptive, sociolinguistic and discourse-analytical methods to investigate institutional terminology, nomination strategies, bureaucratic register, person-oriented language and communicative accessibility. The analysis demonstrates that both linguistic systems contain conventional institutional expressions necessary for professional communication, but they differ in terminological transparency, lexical inclusiveness and adaptation of administrative information to ordinary citizens. Particular attention is given to such units as vulnerable groups, persons with disabilities, low-income families, social assistance, beneficiary and eligibility and their Uzbek counterparts ehtiyojmand aholi qatlamlari, nogironligi bo‘lgan shaxslar, kam ta’minlangan oilalar, ijtimoiy yordam, nafaqa oluvchi and yordam olish huquqi