Metaphors of Political Satire: A Study of Online Jordanian News Columns / Mohammad Abedltif Abedlrazaq Albtoush

Mohammad Abedltif, Abedlrazaq Albtoush (2020) Metaphors of Political Satire: A Study of Online Jordanian News Columns / Mohammad Abedltif Abedlrazaq Albtoush. PhD thesis, Universiti Malaya.

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Abstract

This study aims at examining types of universal and culturally-specific metaphors utilized in satirical socio-political columns of online Jordanian news columns. The selected dataset comprises 97 extracts across the years 2010-2015 and is compiled from the website www.sawaleif.com, which is mainly concerned with the writings of a well-known Jordanian columnist, Ahmad Hasan Al-Zu’bi. The study is mainly qualitative and is handled within the theoretical framework of the conceptual metaphor theory proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980) as well as the critical metaphor analysis championed by Charteris-Black (2004-2005). The linguistic metaphors are manually calculated in order to identify the different target domains and patterns evoked by the same source domain. The extracts involve a wide range of conventional and novel metaphors which discursively address corruption and political malpractices in Jordan, and regional sociopolitical matters in the Arab countries in general. The findings of the study reveal that the metaphors identified are intended to evoke the emotion of SHAME through satirical and non-satirical scenarios which is based on the principles, value system and traditions of the Jordanian community. In addition, the emotion of PRIDE is also identified. While some of the identified metaphors conform to the universal narrow-scope sources of these emotions in terms of being shaped by bodily experiences as proposed by theorists such as Kövecses (2003), others seem to be based on more culturally specific values. Crucially, based on Fairclough and Van Dijk’s perspectives of Critical Discourse Analysis, the columnist’s SHAME metaphors are a call for emancipatory agenda represented by liberating the oppressed Jordanian citizens from unjust and discriminatory political practices and policies. They are also intended to send a covert moral lesson to government’s officials to adhere to Islamic moral and Jordanian social values, norms and iv codes of ethics. Underlying these too, the Arab regimes and rulers are urged to end suppression of their subordinates, emancipate and secure themselves from global powers as well as restore pride in Arabism and its glorious heritage.

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