the Think Tank that has yet to be named

PHPM04: So what is Metaphorical Agency anyway?

Posted by DIMetA on December 28, 2006

• Date: December 17, 2006
• Location: Frankford & Delaware Avenues, Philadelphia
• Managing Director:
  Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Metaphorical Agency (DIMetA)
• Attending Directors:
  Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of the Ecological Subjectivity (DIES)
  Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Meaning (DIM)
  Director of the Dept. for the Investigation of Neutrality and Palatability (DINP)

So what is Metaphorical Agency (MetA) anyway? I am early into the investigations but perhaps I can explain what metaphorical agency is with a metaphor. No, that won’t really do. Okay, how about an example that I may have discussed with you at some point. The Zapatistas developed a metaphor to describe what they were up against, what they were facing (globalization, colonization, etc.). They came up with the sword. The sword moves quickly, is destructive, strong, can pierce, cuts, etc. So, how does a group of indigenous poor people take on such violent and powerful force? They came up with water. Water rusts metal destroying the sword. Water seeps below the surface and nourishes roots for future growth. A sword cannot harm water through cutting it or piercing it and after the sword strikes the water just goes back to where it was. This is an example of MetA. It is the telling a story of the conflict through imagery which is honest, compelling and necessitates action and does so in a way that provides confidence to the agents. It also directly challenges the opponent, I mean who would want to be a sword if you are up against water, it is like choosing to be the rock when you know your friend is going to whip out the paper. The metaphor in this case reinforces a clear analysis and strategy which leads directly to the kinds of actions people in the struggle need to take in order to be effective. The metaphor is active, it has direction and purpose.

I am beginning to collect other examples of MetA from my life as an organizer and from social movements. I told my friend Dan about this and he mentioned a professor I am beginning to research, Francesca Poletta. I will keep people updated about my research and if I find any articles by her that seem particularly helpful I will share them with the TT. I don’t feel that the investigation of MetA should be limited to my particular sphere of expertise or worldview. It is clear that metaphors are used to inspire actions that I would not construe as “good” (dictators are often very good at using metaphors for example), nor should the investigation of MetA be limited to big picture issues. Perhaps MetA helps a child do her homework or an old lady get her groceries already, maybe it is operating in ways often unacknowledged. I don’t know. At this point I am interested more in what it means to me, us and also exploring why it is something I felt compelled to explore.

KEYWORDS: identity, phpm, place