Home > Research > Publications & Outputs > The cancer card

Research

Associated organisational units

Links

Text available via DOI:

View graph of relations

The cancer card: Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter

Published

Standard

The cancer card: Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer. / Semino, Elena; Demjen, Zsofia.
Metaphor: Embodied Cognition and Discourse. ed. / Beate Hampe. Cambridge University Press, 2017. p. 181-199.

Research output: Contribution in Book/Report/Proceedings - With ISBN/ISSN › Chapter

Harvard

Semino, E & Demjen, Z 2017, The cancer card: Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer. in B Hampe (ed.), Metaphor: Embodied Cognition and Discourse. Cambridge University Press, pp. 181-199. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108182324.011

APA

Semino, E., & Demjen, Z. (2017). The cancer card: Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer. In B. Hampe (Ed.), Metaphor: Embodied Cognition and Discourse (pp. 181-199). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108182324.011

Vancouver

Semino E, Demjen Z. The cancer card: Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer. In Hampe B, editor, Metaphor: Embodied Cognition and Discourse. Cambridge University Press. 2017. p. 181-199 doi: 10.1017/9781108182324.011

Author

Semino, Elena ; Demjen, Zsofia. / The cancer card : Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer. Metaphor: Embodied Cognition and Discourse. editor / Beate Hampe. Cambridge University Press, 2017. pp. 181-199

Bibtex

@inbook{d701ef4b167a4d4c90633d7c336e8ccc,
title = "The cancer card: Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer",
abstract = "Employing a dynamic system approach, this chapter investigates the use of one particular metaphor—the {\textquoteleft}cancer card{\textquoteright}—on an online forum dedicated to cancer. Far from being a common Card Game metaphor with a stable source-target mapping, the metaphor is collaboratively developed (i.e. used, re-used, adapted) to express the idea that patients can use their illness to their advantage in a variety of situations, while also reflecting a broader tendency to employ humor as a strategy for coping with adversity. An analysis of all 106 instances of {\textquoteleft}(cancer) card(s){\textquoteright} on one of the threads of the forum shows that, though related to English expressions like {\textquoteleft}play the […] card{\textquoteright} and to conventional conceptual metaphors like life is a game, its use is specific to the interactions among the members of this online community. Our analysis of the {\textquoteleft}cancer card{\textquoteright} as a group-specific metaphoreme (Cameron & Deignan 2006) emphasizes that multiple interacting factors must be considered to account for such rich and complex phenomena as the use of metaphors in online interactions. ",
author = "Elena Semino and Zsofia Demjen",
year = "2017",
doi = "10.1017/9781108182324.011",
language = "English",
pages = "181--199",
editor = "Beate Hampe",
booktitle = "Metaphor",
publisher = "Cambridge University Press",

}

RIS

TY - CHAP

T1 - The cancer card

T2 - Metaphor, intimacy and humor in online interactions about the experience of cancer

AU - Semino, Elena

AU - Demjen, Zsofia

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Employing a dynamic system approach, this chapter investigates the use of one particular metaphor—the ‘cancer card’—on an online forum dedicated to cancer. Far from being a common Card Game metaphor with a stable source-target mapping, the metaphor is collaboratively developed (i.e. used, re-used, adapted) to express the idea that patients can use their illness to their advantage in a variety of situations, while also reflecting a broader tendency to employ humor as a strategy for coping with adversity. An analysis of all 106 instances of ‘(cancer) card(s)’ on one of the threads of the forum shows that, though related to English expressions like ‘play the […] card’ and to conventional conceptual metaphors like life is a game, its use is specific to the interactions among the members of this online community. Our analysis of the ‘cancer card’ as a group-specific metaphoreme (Cameron & Deignan 2006) emphasizes that multiple interacting factors must be considered to account for such rich and complex phenomena as the use of metaphors in online interactions.

AB - Employing a dynamic system approach, this chapter investigates the use of one particular metaphor—the ‘cancer card’—on an online forum dedicated to cancer. Far from being a common Card Game metaphor with a stable source-target mapping, the metaphor is collaboratively developed (i.e. used, re-used, adapted) to express the idea that patients can use their illness to their advantage in a variety of situations, while also reflecting a broader tendency to employ humor as a strategy for coping with adversity. An analysis of all 106 instances of ‘(cancer) card(s)’ on one of the threads of the forum shows that, though related to English expressions like ‘play the […] card’ and to conventional conceptual metaphors like life is a game, its use is specific to the interactions among the members of this online community. Our analysis of the ‘cancer card’ as a group-specific metaphoreme (Cameron & Deignan 2006) emphasizes that multiple interacting factors must be considered to account for such rich and complex phenomena as the use of metaphors in online interactions.

U2 - 10.1017/9781108182324.011

DO - 10.1017/9781108182324.011

M3 - Chapter

SP - 181

EP - 199

BT - Metaphor

A2 - Hampe, Beate

PB - Cambridge University Press

ER -