The use of violence metaphors for cancer has been widely criticised both in academic and non-academic contexts
(see Harrington, 2012; Semino et al., 2015).
Whereas previous research on violence metaphors for cancer has focused on the use and functions of these metaphors by and for
different stakeholder groups, no studies to date have examined the (various) arguments that are raised in public discourse that is
critical of said metaphors. Applying concepts from pragma-dialectical argumentation theory (Van Eemeren & Grootendorst, 1992), this paper sets out to analyse types of argumentation occurring in critical
public discussions of violence metaphors for cancer. Close argumentative analyses of actual discourse examples will be provided in
order to illustrate the differences between two types of argumentation in particular, i.e. pragmatic and symptomatic
argumentation.
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Cited by (4)
Cited by four other publications
Gebraad, Nina & Charles Forceville
2024. Facing cancer: metaphors in medical animation films. Visual Communication
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