How Brands Acquire Cultural Meaning: Introduction

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The study of metaphor as part of Critical Discourse Analysis

This article discusses how the study of metaphoric and more generally, figurative language use contributes to critical discourse analysis (CDA). It shows how cognitive linguists’ recognition of metaphor as a fundamental means of concept- and argument-building can add to CDA's account of meaning constitution in the social context. It then discusses discrepancies between the early model of conceptual metaphor theory and empirical data and argues that discursive-pragmatic factors as well as sociolinguistic variation have to be taken into account in order to make cognitive analyses more empirically and socially relevant. In conclusion, we sketch a modified cognitive approach informed by Relevance Theory within CDA

Narratives of therapeutic art-making in the context of marital breakdown: Older women reflect on a significant mid-life experience

This paper explores the narratives of three women aged 65-72 years. They reflected on an episode of therapeutic art-making in midlife, which addressed depression associated with marital crisis and breakdown. The narrative analysis focused upon on the ways in which participants narrated the events leading up to their participation in therapeutic art-making; the aspects of therapeutic art-making that continued to be given significance; the characters given primacy in the stories they told about their journey through therapy and marital breakdown; meanings, symbolic and otherwise, that participants ascribed to their artwork made during this turning point in their lives; and aspects of the narratives that conveyed present-day identities and artistic endeavors. The narratives revealed the complexity of the journey through marital breakdown and depression into health, and showed that therapeutic art-making could best be understood, not as a stand-alone experience, but as given meaning within the context of wider personal and social resources. Participants looked back on therapeutic art-making that occurred two decades earlier and still described this as a significant turning point in their personal development. Art as an adjunct to counselling/therapy was not only symbolically self-expressive but provided opportunity for decision-making, agency and a reformulated self-image

Imagery or meaning? Evidence for a semantic origin of category-specific brain activity in metabolic imaging

Category-specific brain activation distinguishing between semantic word types has imposed challenges on theories of semantic representations and processes. However, existing metabolic imaging data are still ambiguous about whether these category-specific activations reflect processes involved in accessing the semantic representation of the stimuli, or secondary processes such as deliberate mental imagery. Further information about the response characteristics of category-specific activation is still required. Our study for the first time investigated the differential impact of word frequency on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) responses to action-related words and visually related words, respectively. First, we corroborated previous results showing that action-relatedness modulates neural responses in action-related areas, while word imageability modulates activation in object processing areas. Second, we provide novel results showing that activation negatively correlated with word frequency in the left fusiform gyrus was specific for visually related words, while in the left middle temporal gyrus word frequency effects emerged only for action-related words. Following the dominant view in the literature that effects of word frequency mainly reflect access to lexico-semantic information, we suggest that category-specific brain activation reflects distributed neuronal ensembles, which ground language and concepts in perception-action systems of the human brain. Our approach can be applied to any event-related data using single-stimulus presentation, and allows a detailed characterization of the functional role of category-specific activation patterns

Using conceptual metaphor and functional grammar to explore how language used in physics affects student learning

This paper introduces a theory about the role of language in learning physics. The theory is developed in the context of physics students' and physicists' talking and writing about the subject of quantum mechanics. We found that physicists' language encodes different varieties of analogical models through the use of grammar and conceptual metaphor. We hypothesize that students categorize concepts into ontological categories based on the grammatical structure of physicists' language. We also hypothesize that students over-extend and misapply conceptual metaphors in physicists' speech and writing. Using our theory, we will show how, in some cases, we can explain student difficulties in quantum mechanics as difficulties with language.Comment: Accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. ST:PE

The effects of poetry-writing SANTEL on erotic body image in remission of cancer in women: a pilot study

International audienceAbstract Aim: Our pilot study aims to describe the effects ofa new specific and structured protocol focused on poetic/erotic writing (named SANTEL) on the (re)sexualization ofbody image in women, who have experienced cancer.Procedure: The protocol consists of four steps: to choose alist of erotic verses focused on the body parts, to fill a semistructuredpoetic text, to write sentences after target phraseson the body; and in the end, to write a free poem. Mrs V.suffered from breast cancer, and one breast was removed.She and her husband participated in this poetic writing protocol,separately. We analyzed the linguistic metaphors ofthe body by QSR Nvivo10 software.Results: Using this protocol, we showed discourse variationsof metaphors before and after the experience of writing.Patient V used “I feel like an alien” as a starting metaphorto describe her cancer experience and after poetic writingsessions, she used other bodily metaphors like “My body isa flower” and “My sensual and white flesh”.Conclusion: This poetic perspective promises a type of“perceptive-literary surgery”, characterized by a sensualinvestment process after remission: a poetic reconstructionof erotic body image.Les effets d'un protocole d'écriture poétique SANTEL sur l'image érotique du corps dans le traitement du cancer féminin : étude pilote The effects of poetry-writing SANTEL on erotic body image in remission of cancer in women: a pilot study A. Santarpia · J. Tellène · M. Carrier Résumé Objectif : Cette étude pilote de type qualitative et exploratoire vise à décrire les effets d'un nouveau protocole d'écriture poético-érotique (nommée SANTEL) sur la rééro-tisation de l'image du corps chez une femme, ayant vécu un cancer. Matériel et méthodes : Il s'agit d'un protocole composé de quatre étapes : une liste des phrases à caractères poétiques et érotiques à choisir, un texte à trous à remplir, des amorces de phrases ciblées sur le corps et en fin un poème libre. Madame V. a subi un cancer du sein nécessitant une ablation complète. Madame V. et son conjoint exécutent le protocole d'écriture séparément. Nous montrons les variations discursives des métaphores utilisées avant et après l'expérience de l'écriture, à travers le logiciel d'analyse qualitative QSR NVivo10. Résultats : Madame V. passera de la métaphore initiale « je me sens une extraterrestre » vers la plus atténuée « Non. Je me dis qu'extraterrestre c'était peut-être un peu énorme ». En plus, elle utilisera de nouvelles métaphores linguistiques du corps pour raconter son image du corps telles que « ce corps de chair blanche » et « une fleur qui s'ouvre délicatement ». Conclusion : Cet exercice spécifique d'écriture promet un type de « chirurgie perceptive-littéraire » dans le processus d'investissement sensuel et affectif après la rémission, une reconstruction perceptive et poétique de l'image érotique du corps. Mots clés Métaphores perceptives · Image du corps · Cancer féminin · Corps érotique · Écriture poétique · Chirurgie perceptive-littéraire · Logiciel QSR NVivo10. Abstract Aim: Our pilot study aims to describe the effects of a new specific and structured protocol focused on poetic/ erotic writing (named SANTEL) on the (re)sexualization of body image in women, who have experienced cancer. Procedure: The protocol consists of four steps: to choose a list of erotic verses focused on the body parts, to fill a semi-structured poetic text, to write sentences after target phrases on the body; and in the end, to write a free poem. Mrs V. suffered from breast cancer, and one breast was removed. She and her husband participated in this poetic writing protocol , separately. We analyzed the linguistic metaphors of the body by QSR Nvivo10 software. Results: Using this protocol, we showed discourse variations of metaphors before and after the experience of writing. Patient V used " I feel like an alien " as a starting metaphor to describe her cancer experience and after poetic writing sessions, she used other bodily metaphors like " My body is a flower " and " My sensual and white flesh ". Conclusion: This poetic perspective promises a type of " perceptive-literary surgery " , characterized by a sensual investment process after remission: a poetic reconstruction of erotic body image. Keywords Bodily metaphors · Body image · Feminine cancer · Erotic body · Poetry writing · Perceptive-literary surgery · QSR Nvivo10 software