Notes Towards the Analysis of Metaphor Rudolf Schmitt Abstract: G. LAKOFF and M. JOHNSON's theory of cognitive linguistics and their definition of metaphor and metaphorical concepts have led to a variety of qualitative approaches whose common aim is to reconstruct metaphorical concepts and metaphorical reasoning in everyday language. Targets of these approaches were cross-cultural, cultural, subcultural, individual matters and metaphoric interaction. To illustrate this, two different strategies for a systematic procedure are briefly outlined. Key words: 1. Yet Another Method? 2. Relevance to Social Sciences 3. Matters of (Non-) Method 4. Too Early for a Conclusion References Author Citation 1. Yet Another Method? For almost all qualitative methods of research, language is at the same time both subject and medium. It is used above all as a material referring to content outside language—patterns of relationships, latent structures of meaning, communicative strategies etc. The fact that, in this process, structures immanent to language and their relevance are rarely made an issue and that debates from the discipline of linguistics—with the exception of conversation analysis—are hardly taken heed of, results perhaps from the division of labour within our specialised academic world. In particular there is a lack of theories capable of bridging the gap between disciplines. Such a theory was, however, formulated by LAKOFF and JOHNSON (1980, LAKOFF 1987, JOHNSON 1987) in the overall framework of a "cognitive linguistics". Their theory of metaphor has inspired a variety of approaches to the analysis of metaphor as a qualitative research procedure. [1] LAKOFF and JOHNSON propose a comprehensive concept of metaphor which enables the reconstruction of cognitive strategies of action. We all know, for example, the image whereby problems are portrayed as a weight which "oppresses" 1 a person. Thus in one interview, unemployment is stated to have "really weighed down on" ("ganz schön belastet") an interviewee. Or we find, as part of a philosophy of life, the formulation "Everybody has to shoulder his burden" ("Jeder hat sein Päckel zu tragen"). The corresponding moods are encoded as a metaphorical low: "to collapse, fall away" ("versacken"), "to be at rock-bottom" ("am Boden sein"), "to fall into a pit" ("in ein Loch fallen"). On the 1 For interview quotations see SCHMITT (1995, 1999b). © 2000 FQS http://www.qualitative-research.net/fqs/ Forum Qualitative Sozialforschung / Forum: Qualitative Social Research (ISSN 1438-5627) Volume 1, No. 1, Art. 20 January 2000 Key words: metaphorical concepts, metaphor analysis, everyday language, qualit- ative approaches FORUM: QUALITATIVE SOCIAL RESEARCH SOZIALFORSCHUNG