Dates: 14-16 July 2008
Call for Papers Deadline: February 15th, 2008
Location: Odense, Denmark
Website: http://www.lcm.sdu.dk/

The topic of this theme session brings together ideas from two scholarly (and perhaps epistemic) communities: linguistic semantics, and public policy studies (a subfield within political science). On the side of semantics, a number of cognitively oriented approaches have developed over the past few decades, involving theories of categorization (Lakoff 1987), cognitive and cultural models (Strauss & Quinn 1997), conceptual integration/blending (Fauconnier & Turner 2002), conceptual metaphor (Lakoff & Johnson 1980), conceptual metonymy (Panther & Radden 1999), frame semantics (Fillmore 1982), and mental spaces (Fauconnier 1985/1994). Some of these have been applied to language as used in political contexts, but this has mostly involved the analysis of metaphor and cognitive models in the rhetoric of political figures (e.g., Charteris-Black 2005, Cienki 2004, and Lakoff 1996/2002) or as reflections of ideologies (Dirven et al. 2001, Frank et al. 2003). The language of public policy itself has only occasionally been the object of cognitive semantic research (e.g., Nerlich 2002 and elsewhere). The theories and methods employed in cognitive linguistic research in semantics thus remain a rich potential resource for helping us understand how meaning is expressed (or not) and interpreted (or not) via the language of public policy.

In public policy studies, a growing community of scholars has been taking an “interpretive” approach to policy analysis (e.g., Fischer 2003, Hajer and Wagenaar 2003, Yanow 1995, 1996, 2000; additional references below). By contrast with the more positivistic, quantitative approach that has been dominant since the field’s founding in the 1970s, this group has been exploring the importance for understanding public policies and policy-making processes of phenomenology, hermeneutics, (some) critical theory, pragmatism, symbolic interactionism, and ethnomethodology, and their attendant research methods (e.g., ethnography, semiotics, metaphor and category analyses, discourse analysis). While disparate in their analytic approaches, these studies share an interest in situating human meaning front and center in public policy analysis. Analyses ask not just what specific policies mean, but how they mean, and how these meanings are communicated (or not) to various policy-relevant publics.

This session would provide an opportunity for those schooled in political and certain other social science approaches to the study of meaning to learn from those coming from a more linguistic focus.  In turn, the session would afford an arena for those well-versed in cognitively based theories of meaning to consider the analysis of data from contexts with social policy implications.

The title of the session is intentionally broad with respect to specific empirical case (e.g., environmental, health, social, military, science and technology or other policy topic), as well as with respect to method of analysis. Examples of topics which might be analyzed include the use of metaphor, metonymy, imagery, categories, discursive frames, cognitive/cultural models, or subjective perspective/point of view. The theoretical framework for analyses is open, but might include semantic, semiotic, cognitive linguistic, ethnomethodological, or cognitive ethnographic approaches. Collaboration between scholars from different fields in the formulation of proposals is encouraged, but not required.

This theme session has openings for six presentations, of 30 minutes each, including discussion.  Abstracts (maximum 500 words) should be sent to d.yanow@fsw.vu.nl by February 15th, 2008.  Abstracts accepted by the theme session organizers will be forwarded to the conference selection committee for final approval.  Abstracts not accepted for the theme session will also be sent on to the conference selection committee to be considered for the general session.  Notification concerning acceptances will be sent April 1st.  Inquiries about possible submissions for this theme session may also be sent to either organizer.