Metaphor

In its most basic form, metaphor is a rhetorical trope, or figure of speech. As a trope, it is keenly related to two other tropes—simile and synecdoche. In the case of synecdoche, an entity is equated with one of its most important parts. For instance, a car might be described as one's wheels. With simile, one object is described as being like another (usually unrelated) object. For example, one could say that a rose is like a lover's tears.

Metaphor is a very powerful trope. In the case of metaphor, one goes beyond the mere comparisons of simile and actually equates two objects that are on the surface not related. By doing so, one often forces the reader to consider some aspect of the main object that might not come to awareness without this powerful equating process. Here is an example—my dog is my lighthouse. In literal terms, this sentence is simply false and most likely meaningless. In metaphorical terms, it highlights the role of the author's dog as a beacon of stability, safety, and protection.

Over the years, awareness of metaphor has extended well beyond its basic role as a figure of speech. In particular, there has been a long and complex conversation on the role of metaphor in meaning. For analytic philosophy, metaphor was a difficult puzzle to solve; the insistence of the role of denotation and other literal modes in meaning made such figurative approaches as metaphor problematic.

Figurative approaches to meaning in general, and metaphors in particular, have played an important role in qualitative research, both in terms of writing up results and in conceptualizing findings. First, qualitative researchers need to be sensitive to the metaphors their informants use in their field studies. These metaphors are often important clues into the interior lives and meaning patterns of these informants. Second, metaphors are often encoded in the ordinary ways of looking at things. These are called dead metaphors. Common dead metaphors include table legs and eyes of needles. Reflecting on dead metaphors, especially those from different cultures, often reveals deep-seated differences among cultures. Finally, metaphors are powerful writing tools in that they allow one to foreground important findings in a vivid and economical fashion. The most extensive theoretical treatment on metaphor, and one that has extensive practical application to qualitative research, was conducted by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. Lakoff and Johnson powerfully assert that all thought is metaphorical. These metaphorical dimensions can be orientational (good is up), structural (arguments are war), or ontological (mind is a machine). Identifying these sorts of hidden metaphors in ordinary discourse and conceptualization has extensive practical potential for qualitative theorists and researchers.

Finally, there is also a potentially fruitful interplay between qualitative research and semiotics in the area of metaphor. In particular, metaphors are clear examples of abductive reasoning and can therefore be systematically linked with other abductive endeavors dealing with the search for clues, patterns, omens, and hunches.