Transcript Metaphors in real-time: Evidence for ‘affective models’

Metaphors in real-time:
‘affective models’
Lynne Cameron
The Open University
Evidence for
A cognitive view of metaphor
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Metaphor is “only derivatively a linguistic
phenomenon” (Kövecses, 2005, p. 8)
A socio-cognitive view of metaphor
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Metaphor has its existence in the dialogic
dynamics of discourse.
It is a matter of both language and thought
or talking-and-thinking.
Many metaphors work as affective models
through
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embodiment
perception and simulation
socio-cultural convention
The data
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ESRC New Security Challenges programme
“Perception and Communication of Terrorist Risk”
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12 focus groups, N =96
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London / Leeds
men / women
Muslim / non-Muslim
A-B / C1-C2 socio-economic status
Transcribed recordings: 213K words
Metaphor analysis
The indeterminacy of metaphor
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implicit metaphor topics: the use of source
domain / vehicle terms in the ‘topic flow’ of
the talk
the reach of a metaphor vehicle across the
talk
metaphor shifting in the dynamics of talk
interplay of metaphor, metonymy and literal
language
Understanding metaphors in real time talk
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cultural knowledge of vehicle or source
domain ‘models’
tightly-defined meanings packed into
metaphoremes
‘affective coherence’ across topic flow.
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
SOCIAL POSITIONING IS PHYSICAL POSITIONING
the middle east situation
the situation here
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
over in
the
Czech
Republic
in Leeds
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
in London
in gangs
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
in London
people will
look down
on you
in gangs
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
up north
in London
up town
up in Stockwell
people will
look down
on you
in gangs
Natura morta
Giorgio Morandi
1956
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
PEOPLE
she was taking it
to extremes
people close to you,
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
NATIONS
divisions between
the nations,
build the
bridges.
.. hatred on both
sides.
.. hatred on both
sides.
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
FAMILIES
one side of your
family was Irish
The LANDSCAPE metaphor as model of
social positioning
COMMUNITIES
you are at the
interface ..of
this ..situation,
community cohesion
and everybody's
intermingled.
integrated
using the scope of the metaphor~model
spreading this culture of hatred,
.. that was washing around the country,
this is where terrorism starts from.
like a much more distant threat
it’s ignorance that drives people apart
he turned round and said
Coding affect into the language of
metaphor:
Physical-and-speech-action expressions
<turn round and say> is a metaphoreme with the following
stabilised characteristics:
 the physical action of turning round is metaphorical
 the speech action is likely to be hypothetical rather than real
 affectively, there is implied opposition, dislike or distrust between
speaker and those reported to say in the hypothetical scenario,
and/or what is said.
 the grammatical form of the physical and speech action verbs is
likely to be turn/say or turns/says, i.e. simple present tense or
root form
 a modal verb occurs in about 50% of uses.
I mean using that argument you could turn round and say Rambo’s OK
who might turn round and say all right so in life there are ...
Physical-and-speech-action expressions
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stand up and say
have the finger pointed at them and said
came forward and said
came up to me and said
come out and say
(America, UK) go into other countries and say
go out and stand on a cardboard box and say
bringing your own little part of Islam into this country
and saying
look at and say
Embodied metaphor / metonymy
Last month, Len and Helen Prior - a British couple
who had retired to a small village in Almeria,
southern Spain - hit the headlines as they watched
their home being bulldozed. When Len Prior
collapsed as his home came tumbling down, it
seemed to sum up the hopes of retired Britons
like him, who had gone to Spain in search of a new
life. It sounded a warning, too, of the traps that lie in
wait for unwary buyers.
The Guardian, Weds 6 February 2008.
Affect and metaphors of terrorism
public perceptions of social issues and
international events are strongly shaped by
the dominant metaphors (of media and
political discourse).
(Deignan 2005, p. 131)
WAR is other peoples’ metaphor
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terrorists do see it as war;
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Blair’s excuse for a war.
Terrorism is
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negative action perpetrated by cowards
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it's a form of blackmail,
it's a form of bullying,
it’s hit and run.
violent action on society, affectively
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they could strike anywhere;
the London bombings would have had a big
impact;
was just so devastating.
Target as metaphor connecting to the
ordinary and the innocent
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it’s mostly people that are targeted;
old people are a target;
they’re aiming at innocent people.
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soft target
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Terrorism as disturbing social and mental
balance
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the world's out of balance
stir everything up
in this time of unrest
upsets the fragile .. peace
they try to disrupt the government
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After a period of time, things
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settle down
go back to normal.
GAMES OF CHANCE metaphors
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they will play that bluff
the terrorists just stepped up their game
we get caught up in a poker game
a game of bluff
it’s like a lottery really
lottery odds;
if your number’s up;
pawns in a game
GAMES OF CHANCE metaphors
AUTHORITIES
 or is it..just CIA playing around with people's
minds?
 you don’t want to play into the hands of the
terrorists
 they’re actually dicing with your life
GAMES metaphors
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don't let them bea- beat you
it's like this <Q don't let the system beat you
Q>.
it's not a level playing field
on the total sense of fair play.
NATURAL WORLD metaphors
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there’s always a bad apple,
there are bad onions in every sack
locking the door after the horse has bolted
Metaphors in real-time talk
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Metaphors emerge as more or less coherent vehicle
meanings are dropped into the talk
with more or less determined connections with the
‘topic flow’.
Metaphorical connections are ‘well enough’
determined for people to understand each other:
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through cultural knowledge of large scale metaphors (and
these are like ‘models’)
through the tightly-defined meanings packed into
metaphoremes
through ‘affective coherence’ across topic flow.