IPP Workshop Series: Introduction to Conceptual Metaphor Theories (Sijie Wang)

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Our life is filled with metaphors, from the “defence” of our dissertations to the “waste” of our time. These metaphorical thoughts and expressions can be better examined with the help of metaphor theories, which have shifted from an emphasis on authorial creativity to the mapping of source-target projection and then to the notion of conceptual blending. Referring to the well-known research by George Lakoff, Mark Johnson, Gilles Fauconnier, Mark Turner and Monika Fludernik, this workshop introduces the basic concepts of source and target domains, input spaces and multiple blend networks.

Based on this theoretical background, participants will be invited to analyse photos, poems as well as prose texts. Organized through a series of think-pair-share activities such as free writing and peer feedback, this interdisciplinary workshop draws on visual images and verbal texts in its multidimensional approach to metaphors and metaphor theories. At the end of the workshop, the participants should have a general understanding of conceptual metaphor theories, be able to analyse metaphorical expressions from a theoretical perspective and acquire new insights into their own use of language in everyday life.

Note: The sessions of the IPP Workshop Series are open for BA, MA and PhD students and the participants do not require any previous knowledge to take part.

// Sijie Wang (GCSC) 

The IPP Workshop Series "Reading Culture: Established and Emerging Approaches" provides the space for IPP members to give a workshop that deals with current concepts and methods of literary and cultural theory related to their research interests. It aims at creating an interactive discussion for doctoral researchers as well as undergraduate students. The topics may range from general introductions to different "schools" of literary and cultural theory to concepts, methods and subjects of literary and cultural theory.