The language of recovery
Metaphors in Obama’s and Rajoy’s political speeches
The present study attempts to make a comparative analysis of two Spanish and American political speeches, which
belong to two different debate traditions, in terms of the metaphors used. For that purpose, we analyze the Economy sections of
the 2015 State of the Union Address in the US and in the 2015 State of the Nation Debate in Spain. The present study aims at
answering the following research questions:
-
What metaphors do President Obama and Prime Minister Rajoy use in the American and Spanish political
speeches to convince their audiences of America’s and Spain’s economic victory?
-
What are the similarities and differences between the representations depicted by metaphor use in
the speeches as the politicians attempt to shape the economic recovery of America and Spain after recession?
To answer these questions, we use an analytical framework for the identification of conceptual metaphors and a
theoretical framework for the use of conceptual metaphors (Lakoff & Johnson, 1980).
The results indicate that both politicians use metaphors in an attempt to reify the new economy in such a way that the economic
policies used to fight crisis are justified, while the negative effects on citizens are not mentioned and, thus, are dismissed as
unimportant. However, the politicians take different approaches to reification.
Article outline
- 1.Introduction
- 2.Parliamentary discourse: the State of the Union Address vs. the State of the Nation Address. Socio-political background of the speeches
- 3.Metaphors in political discourse
- 4.Economy metaphors
- 5.Methodology
- 6.Results and discussion of findings
- 6.1Obama’s metaphorical expressions: Economy metaphors
- 6.2Rajoy’s metaphorical expressions
- 6.2.1Economy metaphors
- 6.2.2Financial crisis metaphors
- 7.Conclusion
- Notes
-
References
References (51)
Atkinson, D.
(
2011)
Political implicature in Parliamentary discourse: an analysis of Mariano Rajoy’s speech on the 2006 Catalan Statute of Autonomy. In
N. Lorenzo-Dus (Ed.),
Spanish at work: Analysing institutional discourse across the Spanish-speaking world (pp. 130–145). New York: Palgrave.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
BBC
(
2014a)
Iran nuclear crisis: Can talks succeed? BBC News. Retrieved from
[URL] Visited on May 30th, 2020.
Berrocal Gonzalo, S.
(
2003)
La personalización en la política. In
S. Berrocal Gonzalo (coord.),
Comunicación política en televisión y nuevos medios (pp. 55–79). Spain: Ariel.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cabrejas-Peñuelas, A. B., & Díez-Prados, M.
(
2014)
Positive Self-evaluation versus Negative Other-evaluation in the Political Genre or Pre-election Debates.
Discourse & Society, 25(2), 159–185.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Campbell, K. K., & Jamieson, K. H.
(
2008)
Presidents creating the presidency: Deeds done in words. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cienki, A.
(
2005)
Researching conceptual metaphors that (may) underlie political Discourse.
ECPR Workshop on Metaphor in Political Science. Grenada, Spain. 1–18. Retrieved from
[URL].
Charteris-Black, J.
(
2005)
Politicians and rhetoric: the persuasive power of metaphor. Basingstoke: Palgrave-Macmillan.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Charteris-Black, J.
(
2006)
Britain as a container: immigration metaphors in the 2005 election campaign.
Discourse and Society, 17(5), 563–581.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Charteris-Black, J., & Ennis, T.
(
2001)
A comparative study of metaphor in Spanish and English financial reporting.
English for Specific Purposes, 20(3), 249–266.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Chilton, P.
(
2004)
Analysing political discourse: Theory and practice. London: Routledge.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Clement, S., & Balz, D.
(
2015)
Poll: Rising economy boots Obama’s standing on eve of the State of the Union.
The Washington Post,
Jan. 19th 2015 Retrieved from
[URL].
Cubo de Severino, L., Israel, D., & Zonana, V.
(
1988)
Globalisation for beginners in Argentina: A cognitive approach.
Language and Ideology, II1, 215–234.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Díez-Prados, M.
(
2016)
The use of metaphor and evaluation in discourse strategies in pre-electoral debates: Just about winning votes. In
M. Romano and
M. D. Porto (Eds.),
Exploring discourse strategies in social and cognitive interaction: Multimodal and cross-linguistic perspectives (pp. 215–243). USA: John Benjamins.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Dörnyei, Z.
(
2007)
Research methods in Applied Linguistics. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Green, D.
(
1987)
Language and the shaping of political consciousness. In
The language of politics in America: Shaping political consciousness from McKinley to Reagan (pp. 1–20). Ithaca: Cornell University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hart, C.
(
2014)
Discourse, grammar and ideology: Functional and cognitive perspectives. London: Bloomsbury.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Hoffman, D. R., & Howard, A. D.
(
2006)
Addressing the State of the Union: The evolution and impact of the President’s big speech. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Johnson, M.
(
1987)
The body in the mind. The bodily basis of meaning, Imagination and reason. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Ibarretxe-Antuñanu, I.
(
2013)
The relationship between metaphor and culture.
Intercultural Pragmatics, 10(2), 315–339.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Izquierdo Labella, L.
(
2014)
El Estado de la Nación: 30 años de la Historia de España a través de un debate. Unpublished PhD Humanities Department. Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kassam, A.
(
2014)
Why a little economic growth won’t see an end to the pain in Spain.
The Guardian. Retrieved from
[URL].
Kövecses, Z.
(
2002/2010)
Metaphor: A practical introduction. Oxford: OUP.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Kövecses, Z.
(
2015)
Where metaphors come from: Reconsidering context in metaphor. Oxford: OUP.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lakoff, G.
(
1996)
Moral Politics: What Conservatives Know that Liberals don’t. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lakoff, G.
(
2002)
Moral politics: How liberals and conservatives think. (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lakoff, G., & Johnson, M.
(
1980)
Metaphors we live by. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Lakoff, G., & Turner, M.
(
1989)
More than cool reason: a field guide to poetic metaphor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Liu, D.
(
2002)
Metaphor, culture, and worldview: the case of American English and the Chinese language. Lanham, New York: Oxford University Press.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Martín Rojo, L.
(
2000)
Enfrentamiento y consenso en los debates parlamentarios sobre la política de inmigración en España.
Oralia, 31, 113–148.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mio, J. S.
(
1997)
Metaphor and politics.
Metaphor and Symbol, 12(2), 113–133.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Molpeceres Arnáiz, S.
(
2012)
Imágenes mentales retórico-persuasivas en el discurso político actual: los ejemplos de Obama y Zapatero. In
E. Del Río,
M. C. Ruiz de la Cierva and
T. Albadalejo (Eds.),
Retórica y política: Los discursos de la construcción de la sociedad (pp. 297–312). La Rioja: Ediciones Instituto de Estudios Riojanos.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Mussolf, A.
(
2004)
Metaphor and political discourse. Analogical reasoning in debates about Europe. New York: Palgrave.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Musolff, A.
(
2012)
The study of metaphor as part of critical discourse analysis.
Critical Discourse Studies, 9(3), 301–310.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Neagu, M. I.
(
2013)
Decoding political discourse: Conceptual metaphors and argumentation. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Paris, R.
(
2002)
Kosovo and the metaphor war.
Political Science Quarterly, 17(3), 423–450.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Peters & Woolley
(
1999)
State of the Union Addresses and messages. In
The American presidency project. University of California, Santa Barbara. Retrieved from
[URL].
Pragglejaz Group
(
2007)
MIP: A method for identifying metaphorically used words in discourse.
Metaphor and Symbol, 22(1), 1–39.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Redolí Morchón, D.
(
2015)
El Debate sobre el Estado de la Nación [The State of the Nation Debate].
La noche en 24 horas – 24/02/15. Retrieved from
[URL].
Resche, C.
(
2001)
Metaphors in English for economics: for a language-based approach with L2 learners.
ASp, 31–331, 239–259.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Resche, C.
(
2012)
Towards a better understanding of metaphorical networks in the language of economics: The importance of theory-constitutive metaphors. In
H. Herrera-Soler and
M. White (Ed.),
Metaphor and mills: Figurative language in business and economics (pp. 77–102). Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Richardt, S.
(
2003)
Metaphors in expert and common-sense reasoning. In
C. Zelinsky-Wibbelt (Ed.),
Text, context, concepts: Text, translation, computational processing [TTCP] (pp. 243–298). Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Sánchez García, J. F.
(
2009)
Estudio pragmático del discurso periodístico político español: A propósito de los debates sobre el estado de la nación. Tesis Doctoral. Universidad de Granada.
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Scacco, J. M.
(
2009)
Shaping economic reality: a critical metaphor analysis of President Barack Obama’s economic language during his first 100 days.
Gnovis Journal, 10 (1). Retrieved from
[URL].
Searcey, D., & Gebeloff, R.
(
2015)
Middle Class Shrinks Further as More Fall Out Instead of Climbing Up.
The New York Times.
Jan. 25 2015 Retrieved from
[URL].
Shogan, C. J.
(
2015)
The President’s State of the Union Address: Tradition, Function, and Policy Implications.
Congressional research service. Retrieved from
[URL].
Silver, A.
(
2015)
Where has this Obama been hiding? Six takes on the State of the Union.
Reuters.
January 21 2015 Retrieved from
[URL]
Sopel, J.
(
2014)
Islamic State crisis: A speech Obama hoped to avoid.
BBC News. Retrieved from
[URL].
White, M.
(
2003)
Metaphor and economics: the case of growth
.
English for Specific Purposes, 221, 131–151.
![DOI logo](https://benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
![Google Scholar](https://benjamins.com/logos/google-scholar.svg)
Cited by (3)
Cited by 3 other publications
Escribano Hernández, Asunción
Wang, Xi, Bin Liu & Xue Jia
2023.
English Translation of Conceptual Metaphors in Xi Jinping’s Diplomatic Speeches: A Case Study of the Keynote Speeches at the Opening Ceremony of the Asian Civilization Dialogue Conference and the China International Import Expo.
Frontiers in Humanities and Social Sciences 3:3
► pp. 103 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
Yuan, Guorong & Yi Sun
2023.
A bibliometric study of metaphor research and its implications (2010–2020).
Southern African Linguistics and Applied Language Studies 41:3
► pp. 227 ff.
![DOI logo](//benjamins.com/logos/doi-logo.svg)
This list is based on CrossRef data as of 5 july 2024. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers.
Any errors therein should be reported to them.