Die gefährlichen Fremden

oder was verraten Metaphern über den ethnischen Diskurs?

Abstract

This article presents a new metaphor conception elaborated for analyzing metaphors in discourse that includes both elements of dual reference theory of metaphor (S. Glucksberg) as well as conceptual metaphor theory (G. Lakoff, M. Johnson) and enables to consider the metaphorical process as a two-stage process, where at first the attributive categorization is being established on both linguistic and cognitive way and then it can be broadened at the conceptual level. The implementation of such integrated theory permits a detailed insight in the structure, essential properties and system of metaphors in discourse. The second part of this article is a case-study on the German ethnic discourse that emphasizes the sorts of metaphorical conceptualizations created to characterize the members of different ethnic communities. This choice is motivated by the increasing importance of ethnicity and national identity in the age of globalization.