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Critical Metaphor Analysis

Submitted by christopher.hart on 4 September, 2006 - 15:41.
Critical metaphor analysis is the critical application of Cognitive Linguistic theories of metaphor in discourse analysis. Cognitive Linguistics maintains that metaphor is not only a linguistic phenomenon but also a conceptual one. Applied in critical discourse analysis, the study of metaphor in social or political discourses reveals metaphorical modes of thinking, conceptualisation, within such domains. Stable metaphorical conceptualisations can be thought of as ideologies (or social cognitions). The critical importance of metaphor rests with its inferential capacity which is a function of particular projections.

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Critical Discourse Analysis

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Re: Critical Metaphor Analysis

Submitted by Jennifer Eagleton on 22 March, 2007 - 22:29.
I am interested in CMA...and am now investigating metaphors in democracy in a kind of "transition" state like Hong Kong which "straddles the liberal autocracy of the past and the idea of a fuller democracy in the future" (Kuan & Lau , "Between liberal autocracy and democracy: Democratic legitimacy in Hong Kong", Democratization 9(4), 58-76). However, this "fuller democracy" is unlikely to be achieved anytime soon.

Hong Kong has all the trappings of a democratic state without being about to elect itts op leader (actually HK is a partial democracy). The constitution's "ultimate aim" is full democracy (universal suffrage) but the government (and Beijing) keep hindering progress. Loads of talk about democracy, eg. about doing things "in the spirit of democracy" rather than having actual democracy. In the small-circle "election" for HK's top leader (2005), the discourse of democracy was used in the press (I did this as my MA thesis, which is available on request).

I am in the early stages of my study, so will "reveal" more as things progress.