Metaphor and the Social World - Volume 15, Issue 1, 2025

Abstract

In this study the role of metonymy in relation to social identity is investigated in naturally occurring internet discourse of social groups. Two Reddit subreddits banned for promoting hate based on identity are compared with two unbanned subreddits that predominantly relate to the same gender-focused concerns. It is found that metonymies to reference social identity are more prevalent in the two banned subreddits, where they represent both social in-groups, and out-groups. Analysis of their use in conjunction with other variables identified as having psychological significance finds that each metonymy has a particular role and psychological characterisation. And consideration of diachronic change in the prevalence and cooccurrence of the metonymies provides insights into the evolution of the identity and concerns of the groups. It is concluded that metonymies at the group level support access to and reification of evolving group-specific conceptualisations, and that this in turn supports group identity. Considering metonymies of social groups in large corpora may thus support understanding of group-specific attitudes, and their evolution over time, including in relation to potential hatefulness of discourse.

Abstract

This paper is part of a broader study of how separatist leaders from the English-speaking part of Cameroon resort to discourse in order to push for their main political goal, which is the formation of a separate state. These last few years, Cameroon politics has been characterized by an increase in secessionist sentiment amongst English-speaking citizens, thus yielding the so-called Anglophone crisis which has now turned into a full-blown conflict between armed separatists and the country’s military. The study presented here deals specifically with the use of multimodal metaphors to depict the plight of Anglophone Cameroonians and also engage them in the struggle for self-determination. Therefore, cartoons published on separatist social media pages were analyzed following approaches pertaining to cognitive linguistics and social semiotics (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980; Van Leeuwen, 2005). This research has revealed that the cartoonist(s) resort(s) to various types of metaphor, including the journey metaphor, animal metaphors and personification.

Abstract

This paper uses cognitive discourse analysis to investigate whether differing cognitive structures and mental representations are reflected in sides of pipeline debates. Quotations were extracted from a web corpus to assign statements to identifiable actors in two pipeline protests: the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAP) and Coastal GasLink Pipeline (CGP). Statements were then grouped according to the stance of the speakers. Aspects of cognitive orientation, depth, and constructiveness were compared between the groups. Results demonstrate methods and approaches that could be adapted to place-based conflicts between communities and industries. The analysis obtains insights which could advance linguistic scholarship related to natural resources and the environment as well as enhance conceptual clarity and mutual understanding in the context of specific projects or debates.

Abstract

Metaphorical frames are commonly used in public discourse in the United States of America to communicate about climate change and promote climate action. Previous work found climate metaphors to resonate more so with Democrats than with Republicans. Democrats are also more likely to increase their support for climate action. The present study investigated if tailoring climate metaphors to conservatives’ affective domain and personality traits may trigger metaphor realisation. It experimentally tested, for the first time, if a war frame for climate change which better fits with conservatives’ worldview, can induce fear and anger, and if these emotions alongside personality trait aggressiveness predict increasing support for climate action in both liberal (n = 63) and conservative (n = 63) respondents. The findings showed that the war frame induced fear in both groups, especially among Republicans, but not anger, and that it directly impacted climate attitudes, primarily among Democrats. Trait aggressiveness predicted lower support for climate action at baseline but did not predict attitudinal changes. These novel findings show conservatives are not climate apathetic and encourage further research into how the fear triggered by climate metaphors can be channelled into attitudinal changes in climate inactive populations.

Abstract

This paper identifies how experiences of alcohol use disorder (AUD) are metaphorically framed in online alcohol support materials, using a dataset curated to isolate the language individuals seeking support may encounter. Individuals affected by AUD face barriers including self-stigma, shame, and a perceived lack of agency, which have been shown to inhibit help-seeking behaviours. Framings of alcohol use may challenge or reinforce stigmatising perceptions, in ways which may empower or disempower those affected. There has been little research examining how metaphor is used to communicate perceptions surrounding AUD, particularly at crucial access points such as the language of support materials. This paper applies the Metaphor Identification Procedure (Pragglejaz Group, 2007) to identify how metaphor use frames four key aspects of AUD: lived experience; coping strategies; the disorder; treatment options. The findings show that Journey framings dominate in this context, highlighting both the long-term nature and potential impermanence of recovery. Individuals are represented with varying degrees of agency at different stages of dependence, and framings acknowledging mitigated agency tend to anthropomorphise AUD itself in violent and highly agentive terms. The discussion examines the implications of the identified framings for support-seeking individuals, highlighting the need for further research exploring how those individuals may respond to and evaluate these framings.

Abstract

Comprising metaphors of war and fight, the conflict metaphor, a revolutionary legacy, is not only prevalently employed in today’s state communication within China but also officially translated for the international community. Analysing the Chinese authority’s general use and translation of the conflict metaphor, this study aims to uncover cross-era variations and continuous patterns in these practices. The analysis is based on the Chinese governmental and Communist Party of China’s congressional reports and their official English-language translations from 2004 to 2023, a period that encompasses the Hu Jintao-Wen Jiabao era (2004–2013) and the Xi Jinping-Li Keqiang era (2014–2023). The research first quantifies the official use and translation in these reports and then, based on summary statistics of the quantified data, it reveals that the domestic use of the conflict metaphor differs substantially across the two eras but the official translation remains largely consistent. Relying on time series analysis, this study suggests that, throughout the two decades, the domestic usage in one report may be influenced by that in the immediately preceding report and is highly sensitive to contextual factors, and that the translation appears to follow a moderation mechanism, which potentially contributes to cross-era consistency.

This article reviews Slowing Metaphor Down. Elaborating Deliberate Metaphor Theory978 90 272 1385 3978 90 272 4977 7

This article reviews The Multimodal Performance of Conversational Humor97890272109999789027257857

This article reviews Researching Metaphors: Towards a Comprehensive Account978103202586597810320258729781003184041