Chapter 6. Metaphors for protest
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Gerrit Kotzur
Abstract
Heated debates can inspire people to make use of creative linguistic means such as metaphor to express their point of view. In this chapter, I investigate the emotional appeal and persuasive power of metaphors on demonstration posters used by opponents of the railway modernization project Stuttgart 21 in Germany. In this context, metaphors are used both to construct and fuel the crisis. Protesters often draw on quite drastic conceptual mappings to aggravate existing tensions, demonize their ‘enemies,’ and express strong negative emotions like anger or fear. An examination of resistant discourses cannot only shed light on people’s attitudes towards elites, but also enhance our understanding of political protest in general.
Abstract
Heated debates can inspire people to make use of creative linguistic means such as metaphor to express their point of view. In this chapter, I investigate the emotional appeal and persuasive power of metaphors on demonstration posters used by opponents of the railway modernization project Stuttgart 21 in Germany. In this context, metaphors are used both to construct and fuel the crisis. Protesters often draw on quite drastic conceptual mappings to aggravate existing tensions, demonize their ‘enemies,’ and express strong negative emotions like anger or fear. An examination of resistant discourses cannot only shed light on people’s attitudes towards elites, but also enhance our understanding of political protest in general.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Notes on Contributors vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Investigating the language of financial and organisational crisis
- Chapter 1. Crisis Marketing through conceptual ontology in metaphor in financial reporting 23
- Chapter 2. From economic crisis to austerity policies through conceptual metaphor 51
- Chapter 3. Responding to organisational misbehaviour 87
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Part II. Understanding discourses of political conflicts
- Chapter 4. Turning the heart into a neighbour 111
- Chapter 5. “Today, the long Arab winter has begun to thaw” 137
- Chapter 6. Metaphors for protest 169
-
Part III. Studying personal crisis in psychotherapy and narrative
- Chapter 7. The ‘transformative’ power of metaphor 199
- Chapter 8. Co-constructing ‘crisis’ with metaphor 231
- Chapter 9. Narrative modulation in the storytelling of breast cancer survivors’ transitional experiences 255
- Chapter 10. Framing the onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 281
- Index 305
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Notes on Contributors vii
- Introduction 1
-
Part I. Investigating the language of financial and organisational crisis
- Chapter 1. Crisis Marketing through conceptual ontology in metaphor in financial reporting 23
- Chapter 2. From economic crisis to austerity policies through conceptual metaphor 51
- Chapter 3. Responding to organisational misbehaviour 87
-
Part II. Understanding discourses of political conflicts
- Chapter 4. Turning the heart into a neighbour 111
- Chapter 5. “Today, the long Arab winter has begun to thaw” 137
- Chapter 6. Metaphors for protest 169
-
Part III. Studying personal crisis in psychotherapy and narrative
- Chapter 7. The ‘transformative’ power of metaphor 199
- Chapter 8. Co-constructing ‘crisis’ with metaphor 231
- Chapter 9. Narrative modulation in the storytelling of breast cancer survivors’ transitional experiences 255
- Chapter 10. Framing the onset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) 281
- Index 305
