Metaphor and Gender in Business Media Discourse: A Critical Cognitive Study [Hardcover]

This new study reconciles cognitive metaphor theory with Critical Discourse Analysis to offer a fresh approach to the study of metaphor. In applying this framework to a substantial corpus of texts from business magazines, the author shows how metaphors of war, sports and evolutionary struggle are used to construct business as a masculinized social domain. In view of the subtle but pervasive socio-cognitive impact of these metaphors, the study raises the question of possible alternatives and the scope for change in business media discourse.List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgements List of Abbreviations Introduction: Masculinized Metaphors Theory: A Critical Cognitive Framework for Metaphor Research Method: Quantitative and Qualitative Analyses of Metaphor Business Media on Marketing: Metaphors of War, Sports and Games Business Media on Mergers and Acquisitions: Metaphors of Evolutionary Struggle Conclusion: Gender-neutral Metaphors Appendix: Corpus Data Notes Bibliography Index

'[This book] is an interesting and valuable contribution to the development of metaphor studies in various ways and may serve as a model for further work in these directions...a fine study which does not only provide interesting empirical results but may also be taken as a methodological and theoretical model for further work in the analysis of metaphor in discourse.' Cognitive Linguistics

VERONIKA KOLLER is Lecturer in English Language, Department?of Linguistics and English Language, Lancaster University, UK. Her research focuses on cognitive semantics and critical discourse analysis, especially corporate discourse. Her current work addresses the cognitive structure of corporate brands as well as their communication and reception in discourse.