Fighting as a SOLDIER or Guilty as a SINNER? Metaphorical Insights into Early Career Researchers in Chinese Social Media Platform Little Red Book

Authors

  • Hongying Li

    Department of Spanish Philology, Xianda College of Economics and Humanities, Shanghai International Studies University, Shanghai, China
  • Xingzhi Wan

    Faculty of Translation and Language Science, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Sapin

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i4.6653
Received: 29 March 2024 | Revised: 16 April 2024 | Accepted: 28 June 2024 | Published: 6 September 2024

Abstract

This article examines the metaphors used by Chinese early career researchers  (ECRs) on the influential social media platform Little Red Book to discuss their roles and identities. It aims to provide empirical insights into their authentic ideas and attitudes regarding career development within the current landscape of Chinese higher education institutions (HEIs). Applying the MIPVU (Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit), 161 relevant linguistic metaphors were identified within a self-compiled small-scale corpus for this study. These metaphors were categorized into 33 metaphorical patterns using the Dynamic Discourse Approach, such as ECR IS A SOLDIER, ECR IS A SINNER and ECR IS A TOOL. The findings illuminate the discrepancy between external expectations and supports received, tensions between widely implemented quantitative performance evaluation system and lower-tier university platform restrictions, compromised research creativity and a pessimistic existential crisis experienced by ECRs in mainland China. Crucially, this research introduces a linguistic research perspective that is distinct from conventional questionnaire and semi-structured interview methods commonly used in studies regarding university teachers. Furthermore, it reveals the shared challenges encountered by this group and the diverse impact of these challenges in widespread practice.

Keywords:

Early career researcher; Metaphor; Dynamic Discourse Approach; Chinese social media; Public discourse

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How to Cite

Hongying Li, & Xingzhi Wan. (2024). Fighting as a SOLDIER or Guilty as a SINNER? Metaphorical Insights into Early Career Researchers in Chinese Social Media Platform Little Red Book. Forum for Linguistic Studies, 6(4), 58–70. https://doi.org/10.30564/fls.v6i4.6653

Issue

Vol. 6 , Iss. 4 (October 2024)

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Article

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Copyright © 2024 Hongying Li, Xingzhi Wan

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This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.