Chermoshentseva Ksenia Alexandrovna – Lecturer at the School of Foreign Languages, National Research University “Higher School of Economics” (HSE University), Russia, Moscow, kchermoshenceva@hse.ru
The paper examines the discursive metaphor PREGNANCY IS JOURNEY as a tool for dealing with stress among pregnant women, used in modern English-language discourse. The object of the study is the metaphor of travel and its idiosyncratic variations and extensions in discourse of pregnant women. The subject of the study is the possibility of using this metaphorical transfer as a mechanism of self-regulation among pregnant women. The purpose of the study is to demonstrate the use of the PREGNANCY IS JOURNEY metaphor as a means of changing the subject’s attitude towards reality. The work uses the method of contextual analysis. The article shows that the construction of the PREGNANCY IS JOURNEY metaphor reconciles the subject with reality, introduces an element of goal setting, helps in the formation of a primary connection with the child and the adoption of their new social status as a mother. The main conclusion is that metaphorical understanding of the situation is an adequate psychotherapeutic tool to help overcome stress.
discursive metaphor; pregnancy is journey; coping strategy; self-regulatory mechanism; stress.
Download textFor citing: Chermoshentseva K.A. Journey metaphor as a coping-strategy for combating stress among pregnant women in the English language discourse. Ethnopsycholinguistics, 3(18), 78-95. DOI: 10.31249/epl/2024.03.05