A seven-step method for analyzing metaphors embedded in social texts

Metaphors offer a potent way of communicating multiple layers of meaning. The following paper outlines a procedure for analysing embedded metaphors that can be included within a broader analysis of a text. The first part provides an overview of metaphors within the wider discipline of rhetoric, clarifies key aspects of their function and describes their combined effect alongside other rhetorical devices. The second part outlines a seven-step procedure for analysing the presence and action of embedded metaphors. It aims to identify the configuration of objects that comprise the underlying conceptual framework of the metaphor. The procedure is illustrated with two examples:, the mental-illness metaphor as it occurs in discourses on mental health, and the free-flowing-markets metaphor as it occurs in discourses on financial systems. The examples illustrate how metaphor analysis enhances our understanding of common forms of communication and helps identify the rhetorical elements in dominant discourses, particularly those associated with oppression and discrimination.