POLITICAL IMAGE AS A CATEGORY IN SCIENCE: An Analysis Based on the Example of Kyrgyz Republic

This collection is devoted to an analysis of key trends in the transformation of political communications and image-building strategies in the context of the digitalization and mediatization of politics. The book examines the impact of artificial intelligence on political PR, personalized communication, and the formation of public opinion, as well as the associated ethical risks. Significant attention is devoted to political image as a tool for legitimizing power and a factor in electoral behavior, using the Republic of Kyrgyzstan as a case study. A separate section is devoted to the gender aspects of political leadership and the shaping of women's public image amid a combination of formal achievements and informal constraints. The concluding section of the collection analyzes the use of personal trauma as a resource for political image-building in various cultural contexts. The book's contributions provide a comprehensive view of contemporary mechanisms of political influence and will be useful to researchers, students, and practitioners in the field of political communications.