Metaphors and assumptions which underlie them occur in everyday language use,
including that found in newspaper articles. Conceptions constructed by these metaphors
frame how social issues are thought about and acted upon. Adult literacy is such an issue.
These representations influence how readers view literacy, and, in turn, may impel policy
and practice. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine how articles were
distributed over the 1990s in eight Canadian newspapers, what metaphors predominated,
which endured, along with metaphorical representations, interpreted and constructed.
Using a conceptual approach within the qualitative paradigm, the method was a blend of
discourse analysis and critical linguistics, using the metaphor as the unit of study. Ideas
from discourse research, metaphor studies, critical linguistics, critical literacy and
conceptual analysis shaped the theoretical framework. Sources for research materials
were the University of British Columbia Library, in particular its microform section and
its online services, the University of Victoria Library, the Vancouver Public Library, the
World Wide Web, and databases. Eight Canadian newspapers provided articles relating
to adult literacy. The 284 articles collected in the sample were read for instances of
metaphor. Access and Excel assisted in seeing the data; the findings were distilled from
resulting tables. A culminating diagram depicted the metaphorical representations of
adult literacy and guided discussion. Results showed most articles were published in
1990 and 1995 in conjunction with the release dates of literacy reports and surveys. In
addition, metaphorical representations, clustered under the framework of a noun as a
person, place, or thing, depicted adult literacy as a complex and often contradictory
conception comprised of text personified, eight distinct, contrasting places, and two
concrete and twelve abstract things. As a place, literacy is represented as a nation, region,
sanctuary, divide, found world, lost world, dark territory and null space. As a concrete
entity, literacy is organic, a commodity, a product, or a barrier. Literacy as an abstract
entity is depicted as science, a deficit, burden, medical entity, spatial entity, journey or
quest, crusade or cause, aspiration or liberation, advertising campaign, condition or
disability, battle or competition, or theatrical event. Five stereotypes represented the
illiterate: the child, the prisoner, the other, the heroic victim and the good citizen. Finally,
most metaphors endured over the ten years with literacy as science being the most
prevalent and sustained. The study makes six recommendations. First, newspapers should
research and publish significant findings of how they construct conceptions such as adult
literacy for their readers. Next, discourse and conceptual analysis should be more widely
used by adult education researchers. Thirdly, research stemming from discourse and
conceptual analysis should be reviewed by adult educators when they are discussing
educational program planning or curricular and policy decisions. Fourthly, adult literacy
theorists and practitioners should continue to expand their knowledge of conceptions of
literacy by using investigative processes including qualitative research that moves beyond
functionalist views. Also, adult educators should examine significant educational
conceptions and their representations in the media and compare these to the conceptions
discussed in academic literature. The last recommendation is that the representations of adult
literacy and the illiterate in this study should be compared with the views of adult literacy
practitioners and their students.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:BVAU.2429/11390 |
| Date | 05 1900 |
| Creators | May, Carole |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Relation | UBC Retrospective Theses Digitization Project [http://www.library.ubc.ca/archives/retro_theses/] |
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