Stance and metaphor: Mapping changing representations of (organizational) identity

Abstract

This article illustrates how metaphor is used as a stance-taking resource and strategy to indirectly index enduring and changing representations of organizational identity through an analysis of speeches delivered by consecutive Secretary Generals of an agency of the United Nations. Drawing on Bucholtz and Hall’s (2005, 2006) framework of identity, and recent research on stance (e.g. Du Bois, 2007), it illustrates how metaphor marks attitudes and orientations to context, propositions and social and political structures/relationships. The analysis highlights similarities in the depiction of the organization over two terms of office, but also reveals differences in identity positioning and inter-subjective framing. Particular metaphorical scenarios and mappings are used rhetorically to strengthen subject positions and alignments, and mark evaluations, supporting Du Bois’s theory of stance as a ‘triune’ act. It is argued that a combined analysis of stance and metaphor provides an important framework and instrument for further research on identity construction, especially in organizational and political discourse. Moreover, the theory of stance can be further enhanced through an investigation of metaphorical mappings.

Double stance discourse: Managing social and personal identity at work

“…The concept of stance has been used to understand how speakers position themselves with respect to the form or content of their utterances. As neutrality is, in itself, a stance (Jaffe, 2009: 3), it can be observed in a wide range of discourse practices and genres, such as journalistic and media discourse (Haddington, 2007; Marín Arrese, 2015; Paterson et al, 2016), threatening discourse (Gales, 2011), courtroom discourse (Chaemsaithong, 2012), organizational discourses (McEntee-Atalianis, 2013) and workplace narratives (Holmes, 2005; Holmes and Marra, 2005; Vásquez, 2007). From a methodological point of view, analytical perspectives are also heterogeneous, ranging from conversation analysis to corpus linguistics, as shown in recent books on the matter of stance in academic genres (Sancho Guinda and Hyland, 2012), qualitative sociolinguistics (Jaffe, 2009) and pragmatics and conversation analysis (Englebretson, 2007, ed.…”

“…Du Bois (2007: 149) points out the need to analyze what previous stance the stancetaker is responding to. From this perspective, stance is a key aspect in the relational process of constructing identity (Bucholtz and Hall, 2005; Johnston, 2007), because identity is dynamic and requires different acts from the individual to ‘construct and manage different aspects of subjective and intersubjective identity’ (McEntee-Atalianis, 2013: 321). Identity, as ‘the social positioning of self and other’ (Bucholtz and Hall, 2005: 586), emerges not only in the interpersonal relation with others, but also in conflict and negotiation with others (Paterson et al, 2016).…”

Not so ‘innocent’ after all? Exploring corporate identity construction online

“…McEntee-Atalianis, 2013). We use the two principles described above and employ discourse analytical and corpus analytical methods to analyse some of the processes involved in the online identity construction of innocent on its website.…”

Two versions of nomadic employees: Opposing ways to employ the same discourse in talking about change

“…In the context of altering the traditional office setting to a non-territorial office setting, the metaphor of the nomad appears to be an understandable way to position the employees in a non-territorial workspace. Metaphors are acknowledged as a resource for speakers to strengthen subject positions and indirectly express organizational values (McEntee-Atalianis, 2013). In the organization study literature, the metaphor of the nomad has been used to describe the increased mobility of organizational actors (Bean and Eisenberg, 2006; Bean and Hamilton, 2006; Hirst, 2011).…”