‘I must do everything to eliminate my negative attitude’
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Agnieszka Sowińska
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to explore Polish general practitioners’ (GPs) language of emotions used with regard to patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Specifically, the study focuses on the linguistic expressions and discursive strategies drawn upon in the communication of emotions and value judgments towards this group of patients. This study is part of the larger research project on challenges Polish GPs face while dealing with patients with MUS (cf. Czachowski et al. 2011). The investigation of 4 focus groups revealed, inter alia, that the doctors frequently use labels and metaphors, such as maruda [‘whinger’] or święta krowa [‘sacred cow’] to refer to and evaluate these patients. Such expressions communicate doctors’ negative emotions. These emotions influenced the doctors’ behaviour during the consultation: the doctors admitted to referring patients with MUS to secondary care or shortening the visit.
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to explore Polish general practitioners’ (GPs) language of emotions used with regard to patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS). Specifically, the study focuses on the linguistic expressions and discursive strategies drawn upon in the communication of emotions and value judgments towards this group of patients. This study is part of the larger research project on challenges Polish GPs face while dealing with patients with MUS (cf. Czachowski et al. 2011). The investigation of 4 focus groups revealed, inter alia, that the doctors frequently use labels and metaphors, such as maruda [‘whinger’] or święta krowa [‘sacred cow’] to refer to and evaluate these patients. Such expressions communicate doctors’ negative emotions. These emotions influenced the doctors’ behaviour during the consultation: the doctors admitted to referring patients with MUS to secondary care or shortening the visit.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Linguistic approaches to emotion in context 1
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Part I. Emotion, philosophy and language
- Emotions 21
- Passion, a forgotten feeling 39
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Part II. Expressing and interpreting emotion
- On “Disgust” 73
- A corpus-based construction of emotion verb scales 99
- Patterns of allocentric emotional expressions, a contrastive study* 113
- The expression of emotions in conditionals 137
- Conceptual metaphors of anger in popularized scientific texts 159
- Bad feelings in context 189
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Part III. Doing emotion
- Emotions and prosodic structure 215
- Prosody and emotion in Greek 231
- Cross-cultural perception of some Japanese politeness and impoliteness expressions* 251
-
Part IV. Pragmatic use of emotion
- Verbal aggressiveness or cooperative support? 279
- ‘I must do everything to eliminate my negative attitude’ 309
- Language learning and making the mundane special 331
- Name index 347
- Subject index 355
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Linguistic approaches to emotion in context 1
-
Part I. Emotion, philosophy and language
- Emotions 21
- Passion, a forgotten feeling 39
-
Part II. Expressing and interpreting emotion
- On “Disgust” 73
- A corpus-based construction of emotion verb scales 99
- Patterns of allocentric emotional expressions, a contrastive study* 113
- The expression of emotions in conditionals 137
- Conceptual metaphors of anger in popularized scientific texts 159
- Bad feelings in context 189
-
Part III. Doing emotion
- Emotions and prosodic structure 215
- Prosody and emotion in Greek 231
- Cross-cultural perception of some Japanese politeness and impoliteness expressions* 251
-
Part IV. Pragmatic use of emotion
- Verbal aggressiveness or cooperative support? 279
- ‘I must do everything to eliminate my negative attitude’ 309
- Language learning and making the mundane special 331
- Name index 347
- Subject index 355
