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Part of
Metaphor in Specialist Discourse
Edited by J. Berenike Herrmann and Tony Berber Sardinha
[Metaphor in Language, Cognition, and Communication 4] 2015
► pp. 271–296

Metaphor as tools of enrolment in the policy process

A case study exploration of the policy press release genre in regards to the Alberta SuperNet

The main claim of this chapter is that metaphors ought to be taken seriously by researchers and policymakers alike as a means to both understand policymaking and contest an existing dialogue around a particular issue. In order to support a richer appreciation regarding the multifaceted roles metaphors can and do play in the policy world, this discussion investigates the metaphors within the specialist discourse genre of policy press releases in relation to a real world initiative within the province of Alberta, Canada: the Alberta SuperNet. In total, 24 documents are examined using the following questions: (1) what metaphors are present, and (2) how are metaphors used to advance certain images of technology, citizens, government and industry?

Published online: 16 December 2015
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/milcc.4.11wil
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