The role of metaphors and frames in anchoring discursive reference: the conceptualization of aphasia and Alzheimer's Disease by experts, lay people and diagnosed individuals

Abstract

There are three objectives of this research project: (i) to analyze, through metaphorical reference expressions, the conceptualization of aphasia and Alzheimer's disease by laypeople, diagnosed individuals and specialists, especially those in the clinical area; (ii)identify aphasia and Alzheimer's disease conceptualization trends in relation to the main epistemic frames or models of disease explanation, such as biomedical and social(LYMAN, 1989), as well as their virtual variations or interrelationships; (iii) describe the role of socio-cognitive frameworks as metaphors and frames in the constitution of social cognition, considering how they act in the discursive reference of the pathologies mentioned here. In methodological terms, we intend to identify metaphorical reference expressions (such as definitions, categorizations, attributive constructions, etc.)anchored discursive and socio-cognitively in epistemic frames of aphasia and Alzheimer's disease in 10 academic papers (05 master's dissertations and 05 theses of doctorates already defended) belonging to the collection of postgraduate research developed in the area of Neurolinguistics of the Institute of Language Studies (UNICAMP). Such research is based on authentic linguistic data (semi-directed interviews and conversations with experts, lay people and diagnosed individuals), transcribed in conversational notation system. The theoretical objects of this study -metaphors and frames - present great exploratory potential for a better understanding of the evaluative language (CEPOLLARO; STOJANOVIC, 2016) and the social reception of diseases. (AU)