TY - JOUR

T1 - Brexit metaphors in UK higher education

T2 - loss, agency and interconnectedness

AU - Papatsiba, V.

AU - Koller, V.

PY - 2025/1/3

Y1 - 2025/1/3

N2 - This interdisciplinary study examines how senior leaders in UK higher education use everyday metaphors to convey their perspectives on Brexit and its implications. By analysing a corpus of 127 interviews conducted between 2017 and 2019 as part of a larger ESRC-funded project spanning 12 universities across the UK, this research employs critical sociocognitive theories and established metaphor identification methods to systematically uncover and interpret metaphors and metaphor scenarios related to Brexit in higher education discourse. The study reveals that seemingly neutral metaphors such as ‘access’, ‘networks’, ‘streams’, ‘links’ and ‘barriers’ carry significant ideological weight, subtly conveying evaluative perspectives that might otherwise remain guarded. These metaphors illuminate deeper and longer-term concerns about interconnectedness, loss of resources, talent and opportunities, and institutional agency within the higher education sector. Notably, the analysis of metaphor scenarios reveals a paradoxical juxtaposition of apprehension and hope, reflecting the complex ways in which university leaders conceptualise and respond to Brexit’s uncertainties. By examining everyday metaphor use, this study offers a unique window into how Brexit was understood and framed within UK higher education leadership circles during a critical period of uncertainty. Our findings not only contribute to our understanding of Brexit’s impact on UK higher education but also underscore the value of metaphor analysis in elucidating complex sociopolitical issues with likely lasting implications. This calls for further research on Brexit’s discourse and effects on higher education while highlighting the crucial role of discourse during major policy shifts.

AB - This interdisciplinary study examines how senior leaders in UK higher education use everyday metaphors to convey their perspectives on Brexit and its implications. By analysing a corpus of 127 interviews conducted between 2017 and 2019 as part of a larger ESRC-funded project spanning 12 universities across the UK, this research employs critical sociocognitive theories and established metaphor identification methods to systematically uncover and interpret metaphors and metaphor scenarios related to Brexit in higher education discourse. The study reveals that seemingly neutral metaphors such as ‘access’, ‘networks’, ‘streams’, ‘links’ and ‘barriers’ carry significant ideological weight, subtly conveying evaluative perspectives that might otherwise remain guarded. These metaphors illuminate deeper and longer-term concerns about interconnectedness, loss of resources, talent and opportunities, and institutional agency within the higher education sector. Notably, the analysis of metaphor scenarios reveals a paradoxical juxtaposition of apprehension and hope, reflecting the complex ways in which university leaders conceptualise and respond to Brexit’s uncertainties. By examining everyday metaphor use, this study offers a unique window into how Brexit was understood and framed within UK higher education leadership circles during a critical period of uncertainty. Our findings not only contribute to our understanding of Brexit’s impact on UK higher education but also underscore the value of metaphor analysis in elucidating complex sociopolitical issues with likely lasting implications. This calls for further research on Brexit’s discourse and effects on higher education while highlighting the crucial role of discourse during major policy shifts.

KW - Brexit

KW - Discourse analysis

KW - Internationalisation

KW - Metaphor analysis

KW - Political sociology

KW - UK higher education

U2 - 10.1007/s10734-024-01388-7

DO - 10.1007/s10734-024-01388-7

M3 - Journal article

JO - Higher Education

JF - Higher Education

SN - 0018-1560

ER -