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Article published In:
Journal of Language and Politics
Vol. 14:4 (2015) ► pp.577–598

Metaphorical Conceptualization of Migration Control Laws

Narratives of Oppression

| Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria |
| University of California, San Diego |

This article analyzes the way in which migration control laws are metaphorically conceptualized in the voices of individuals who demonstrate emotional solidarity with irregular immigrants. The metaphors studied are shown to constitute a coherent conceptual corpus that reveals their users’ ideology. These metaphors present a cultural narrative that affects the moral consideration of the characters involved in the story. They also reflect the perception of those who feel oppressed by the dominant social group and therefore, they are narratives of oppression, in juxtaposition to the narratives of hegemony that can be identified in the metaphors used in hostile political speeches against this social group.

Keywords: metaphor, ideology, immigration, Hispanics, narratives of oppression
Article outline
  • 1.Theoretical Framework
  • 2.Objectives
  • 3.Description of the Corpus
  • 4.Data Analysis: Metaphorical Conceptualization of Migration Control Laws, Programs, and Measures
    • 4.1Source Domain: war
    • 4.2Source Domain: flammable material
    • 4.3Source Domain: illness
    • 4.4Source Domain: force image schema
    • 4.5Source Domain: embittering substance
  • 5.Conclusions
  • Notes
  • References
Published online: 11 December 2015
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/jlp.14.4.05pin
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