Transcript New Developments in Linguistic Pragmatics, 5th Kodz

University of Split, Croatia
DANICA ŠKARA, PhD
[email protected]
THE EURO-SHIP AND ITS CREW:
TOWARD A METAPHORICAL
RECONCEPTUALIZATION OF THE EU
The main target of this paper is to analyse the process
of the EU integration and its linguistic
reconceptualization:
 globalization processes and its vocabulary
 cognitive theoretical background: conceptual
metaphors
 A limited sample of the dominant metaphors of
Euro-debates is used. It highlights the characteristic
differences of the EU's 'image' within and outside
(candidate country) the EU.
 According to G. Lakoff (2008) ‘our future depends
critically on which metaphorical conceptions
predominate.’
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Political changes in Europe in recent
decades have created a new and
unfamiliar political and linguistic
landscape. The notion of Europe becomes
more and more challenge to
comprehension.
The European Community is a child of
the Cold War. (EUROMETA)
The only certainty about the new
Europe now struggling to be born is
that its shape and character remain
uncertain for a long tome to come.
(EUROMETA)
A FRAMEWORK FOR UNDERSTANDING
GLOBALIZATION AND
EUROPEANISATION
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Globalization and Europeanization are two
phenomena with important potential political
and linguistic implications. They are often
perceived as complementary, overlapping,
mutually reinforcing, but also competing
processes.
Global village-Common European house
Interpol-Europol
World Bank-European Central bank
World cup-Euro-cup
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Besides differences these two processes
share common vocabulary and common
conceptual background based on a new
reality, e.g.
Computer terminology offers a rich source
of metaphors transplanted all over the
world: cookie, bug, office, windows,
viruses, garbage, air bags, bionic organs,
cyborgs, ROM, hackers, electronic mail,
artificial intelligence, machine languages,
black holes, etc.
Globalization
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According to P. S. Aulakh & M.G. Schechter (2000; 3)
globalization can be seen as ‘a form of cross-national or
supranational interconnectedness, interdependence.’ The
concept of integration is not used.
In a period of rapid growth of science and technology, new
geopolitical shifts and globalization processes, new
metalanguage appears based on global perception of the world,
e.g. global village, global terror, World Wide Web (WWW), new
world order, global citizenship, World Bank , International
Monetary Fund (IMF), World Trade Organization (WTO), Global
Warming, INTELSAT, etc.
The use of global metaphors reveals not only changed currents
of our thoughts but also the structures of a radically modified
society.
GLOBE=NETWORK, WEB
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The notion of a network is quite a new concept
referring to the diffusion of global norms, e.g.
network society, media network, Internet Explorer,
World Wide Web, etc.
At the core of this metaphor is the notion that
ideas, values are transferred along more or less
stable sets of relationships. A network can be
defined ‘as a collection of links between elements
of a unit.’ (J.van Dijk (2006:24)
‘Our world has become truly globally connected.
With little exaggeartion we may call the 21 century
the age of networks.' (J. van Dijk, 2006:2)
Networks connecting individuals, groups, organizations and societies.
Source: Van Dijk 2001/2003
Information, communication=flow
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Global connectivity entails not only
concrete flows (of information, money,
people, etc.), but also states of mind, e.g.
the flow of democratic ideas from one part
of the globe to another.
Globalization involves the growing
magnitute of interconnections of patterns
of interactions and flows between societies
and states.
Europeanisation
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European integration’ covers aspects of these
phenomena that are focused on Europe and that
involve European institutions: European Central
Bank, European Parliament, European Court of
Justice, European Commission, European
Council, Europol, Committee of the Regions,
Committee of Economic and Social Affairs,
etc.
Geo-political changes and the reconstruction of
the EU have left their trace in different discourse
types related to the concept of a “new Europe.” :
multi-speed Europe, New Europe, Europe of
variable geometry, etc.
THE METAPHORISATION OF EUROPEAN
POLITICS
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The cognitive linguistic view maintains
that conceptual metaphors are based on a
variety of human experience…
We consider metaphors as appropriate
cognitive tools to analyse these two
phenomena.
Metaphors enable us to think about states
in terms of their bodies, health, or to see
states as houses, or natural forces
(target-source domain).

We will introduce the concepts of
shared language and transnational
speech community exemplifying
them with reference to the EU
integration. ‘Eurospeak’ is a shared
symbolic system that speakers
create through their mutual
interactions.
MOVEMET
PERSON
BODY
FORCE
HOME/
FAMILY
FURNITU
RE
FOOD
NETWOK
MACHINE
EUROPE
NONDEFINED
SPACE
BALANCE
LIQUID/
WATER
COMMUNIY
CLUB
CONCENT
RIC
CIRCLES
space
2%
water
balance
3%
1%
Club/union
sport
force
3%
1%
1%
movement
building
food
animal
network
4%
2%
1%
person
body
machine
movement
4%
27%
circle
war
border
furniture
5%
furniture
machine
food
Club/union
border
water
5%
space
war
building
6%
13%
circle
7%
body
person
7%
7%
animal
sport
balance
force
network
European Union=process, change, movement
(journey) > (27%)
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Spatial metaphors describe the EU
enlargenment in terms of movement,
journey (e.g. “new steps”, “moving
forward”, “brave steps into uncharted
territory”, to speed (e.g. “accelerate
the integration”, “slowing-down the
train”), to moving objects (e.g. “new
locomotive”, “our boat, deck of the
Eurobus, the economic motorway,
bicycle) .
Multi-track, Multi-speed: Europe is a giant
motorway system
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We absolutely do not want that the
slowest ship decides the pace of the
convoy," the chancellor said, repeating
the words used last week by Mr. Wolfgang
Schäuble. (EUROMETA)
Our boat is practically full. (EUROMETA)
Practically everyone— not least the IMF —
wants Europe to become the locomotive
of world recovery once the US growth
machine inevitably slows down.
(EUROMETA)
EU=building, home, furniture (21%)
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The metaphorical expressions of
CONTAINER understand the EU in terms
of building or its parts (e.g. “European
edifice”, “foundations”).
For once within "Fortress Europe",
they would be free to move around the
other Schengen nations. (EUROMETA)
If we were to join the single currency we
"could find [ourselves] trapped in the
economic equivalent of a burning
building with no exits". (EUROMETA)
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EU=PERSON (BODY, PARTS OF THE
BODY, FAMILY) (14%)
The body was an important
metaphor through which the
European state was understood. As
the metaphor makes clear, social life
and the political system are, just like
the various parts of the body.
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Europe must cure its own ills.
Europe’s sclerosis is due as much
too inflexible macroeconomic policy
as inflexible labour markets.
(EUROMETA)
He wanted Britain to be at the heart
of Europe. Yet too often he found
himself alone at the end of a limb.
(EUROMETA)
EU=CONCENTRIC CIRCLE (7%)
CORE
INTERNAL
EXTERNAL
EU=CONCENTRIC CIRCLE
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‘For long years to come , Europe will
consist of a central, homogeneous
core, made up essentially of France and
Germany," he said. The second
concentric circle would include the
weaker European states, such as Britain.
The outer group would take in the
nations of East Europe which could not
hope to meet the criteria of EU
membership for some time.’ (EUROMETA)
EU=FOOD (4%)
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EU is often conceptualized as a food/menu in
the meaning of diversity. The concept of the
food evokes positive/familiar associations.
That way, we may end up with a menu for the
many, not something which is à la carte
capitalism. When such a menu is written, let us
also have the courage to tell the British public that
it will be its choice — in the form of a
referendum— whether it wants to dine at such a
European banquet or discard it as a feast of
fools. (EUROMETA)
EU=COMMUNITY
ASSOCIATION, CLUB (3%)
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The alternative Thatcherite model of an
inter-governmental community — run
essentially behind closed doors by the
council of ministers, the club of
member states — could lead to far
more unaccountable centralisation of
power than out-in-the-open
federalism.(EUROMETA)
Blair fights for entry to ‘euro
club’.(EUROMETA)
The EU integration seen from outside
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The image of the EU as an entity closed to
outsides (a rich man's club) is the most
frequent. Other concepts are: EU as family,
old lady, motion, building, fortress, etc.
In official documents issued by the EU
administration Croatia is often concieved as
a part of the Western Balkan Countries,
convergence regions, Central and
Eastern Europe, candidate country,
underdeveloped countries, developing
countries, emergent nations, candidate
country, neighbouring county, etc.
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In the same time, Croatian speakers see
themselves as a bridge, South Eastern
Europe, Middle Europe, collateral victim,
the wall against the East, Croatia sees
itself as a fortress against the Turkish
invasion (antemurale christiantitatis).
Balkan is Croatian geographical prison,
while Europe is its escape from the East,
etc.
E.g. The EU cannot keep its Balkan
neighbours locked up forever.
(http://www.neurope.eu.artiles/78351.php
Conclusion
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Two competing visions of the EU may
be identified:
Concentric Europe, also known as
core and periphery, envisions a core
group of countries.
Variable geometry- a way of
organising the EU has to be found
that permits different permutations.
In France and the Benelux countries
(Belgium, the Netherlands and
Luxemburg) the circle model is
promoted.
 British politics see variable/flexible
geometry as a goal.
The compromise between a core project
and a variable geometry approach
reflects the current political reality.
‘Is the Franco-German couple really the
heart of the European Union, as he
said during the campaign, or are Britain’s
Conservatives right to imagine they have
found a fellow-skeptic to flirt with?’
(source: EUROMETA)
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To sum up, the common sense about the EU
consists of some well established metaphors:
the EU AS MOTION
the EU AS a building
The EU AS a person/body.
Positions of the EU candidate countries on the EU
institutional reform were quite fuzzy.
The reunification of Eastern and Western Europe
was see as bridging together two unequal sides:
a new Europe/old Europe.
The accession of the Central and Eastern EU
states as their return to the European family
We can conclude that Europe is under
construction.
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On one hand globalisation is offering a
framework to be used to achieve
modernity, interconnectedness,
compression of time and space
(network, flow), etc.
On the other hand Europeanisation is
founded on the concept of movement,
mobility, building, body, space,
cooperation, harmonization,
integration and partnership .