Metaphor and domains of discourse

[Steen, G.J.]

RaAM 8 conference: Metaphor and Domains of Discourse

We are pleased to announce the 8th conference of the Researching and Applying Metaphor International Association (RaAM), which will be held at VU University (Vrije Universiteit), Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from 30 June through 3 July 2010.

As an association, RaAM strives to advance the study of metaphor, metonymy and other aspects of figurative language, with a commitment to the application of metaphor research to 'real world' issues. In light of this, the theme of the upcoming international conference will be 'metaphor and domains of discourse'. The theme is intended to highlight the socio-cultural as well as the situational diversity of metaphor as manifested in, for example:
-- government and politics;
-- religion and ethics;
-- education;
-- science and healthcare;
-- business and organizations;
-- mass media and journalism; and
-- literature and the arts.

The conference will feature plenary lectures by:
- Paul Chilton
 <http://www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/profiles/Paul-Chilton/>
 Dept. of Linguistics and English Language
 Lancaster University, UK
- Dedre Gentner
 <http://www.psych.northwestern.edu/psych/people/faculty/gentner/>
 Dept. of Psychology and School of Education and Social Policy
 Northwestern University, USA
and an address by the outgoing Chair of the RaAM Executive Committee:
- Lynne Cameron
 <http://www.open.ac.uk/education-and-languages/people/people-profile.php?staff_id=1618003&show=researchInterests>
 Faculty of Education and Language Studies
 Open University, UK

We are soliciting abstracts for 20-minute papers and for poster presentations. Abstracts should be no more than 500 words (excluding references). Updates, including a link to the conference web site and information on abstract submission, will be posted shortly at http://www.raam.org.uk/Amsterdam_2010.html . The deadline for abstracts is 31 December 2009. Notification of acceptance decisions will be sent by 1 March 2010. Early registration will be open between 1 March and 30 April 2010.

The conference will also include a new way of linking basic and applied research: in addition to regular papers and a poster session, a selection of 'real world workshops' will be offered. The workshops will involve demonstrations for, and with, conference participants on how metaphor can be used as an intervention or tool to change people's way of thinking and reasoning. 'Real world workshops' will be offered on:
-- Metaphor in communicating public interest issues
 (Joseph Grady, Cultural Logic, USA)
-- Metaphor in business organizations
 (Joep Cornelissen, Leeds University Business School, UK)
-- Metaphor in education professionals' discourse
 (Graham Low, University of York, UK)
-- Metaphor in knowledge management
 (Daan Andriessen, INHolland University of Applied Sciences, NL)
-- Metaphor and metonymy in painting
 (Irene Mittelberg, RWTH Aachen University, Germany)
- Metaphor in product design
 (Paul Hekkert, Technical University Delft, NL).

A number of pre-conference tutorials, geared toward PhD students, will be offered on 30 June before the conference begins. Furthermore, a limited number of bursaries/stipends will be available for PhD students from the RaAM Executive Committee and the local organising committee. Details will be available in the second call for abstracts and the conference web site.


The RaAM8 scientific committee:
John Barnden (University of Birmingham, UK)
Frank Boers (Erasmus College of Brussels, Belgium)
Lynne Cameron (Open University, UK)
Jonathan Charteris-Black (University of the West of England, UK)
Alan Cienki (Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands)
Charles Forceville (Universiteit van Amsterdam, Netherlands)
Veronika Koller (Lancaster University, UK)
Zouhair Maalej (King Saud University, Saudi Arabia)
Brigitte Nerlich (University of Nottingham, UK)
Elena Semino (Lancaster University, UK)
Gerard Steen (Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands)
Dvora Yanow (Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands)
Ning Yu (University of Oklahoma, USA)
Lawrence Zbikowski (University of Chicago, USA)
 
 
The local organizing committee:
Alan Cienki and Gerard Steen (chairs);
Lettie Dorst, Berenike Herrmann, Anna Kaal, Tina Krennmayr, Tryntje Pasma