From Viruses to Russian Roulette to Dance: A Rhetorical Critique and Creation of Genetic Metaphors

Abstract

This article critiques and creates metaphoric genetic rhetoric by examining metaphors for genes used by representatives of the lay American public. We assess these metaphors with a new rhetorical orientation that we developed by building onto work by Robert Ivie and social scientific qualitative studies of audiences. Specifically, our analysis reveals three themes of genetic metaphors, with the first two appearing most frequently: (1) genes as a disease or problem, (2) genes as fire or bomb, and (3) genes as gambling. We not only discuss the problems and untapped potential of these metaphors, but also we suggest metaphorically understanding genes interacting with the environment as a dance or a band. This article has implications for rhetorical criticism, science studies, and public health.

Acknowledgments

For the purposes of this article, the authors are listed alphabetically, but would like to note that we both contributed equally to its creation and production. We thank Celeste Condit, the editor, and the anonymous reviewers for their invaluable assistance in the preparation of this article. We also extend our gratitude to the CDC and NIH grant teams at the University of Georgia for their help in data collection.

Notes

¹In fact, Carl R. Burgchardt summarizes metaphoric rhetorical criticism in exactly this manner in Readings in Rhetorical Criticism: “The metaphoric critic focuses on describing, evaluating, and understanding such metaphors as vital rhetorical phenomena” (337).

²Unless otherwise stated, we use the word “environment” to refer to behavior, as in lifestyle choices, as well as the physical environment, such as exposure to toxins or living in a high stress environment.

³Of course “text-based analysis” is not a cohesive category. We agree with Edward Schiappa and others who recognize that traditional textual rhetorical criticism is actually a form of reception analysis, and thus our concern is which audience reception should be the focus of rhetorical scholarship (88).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Marita Gronnvoll

Marita Gronnvoll is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Eastern Illinois University, 600 Lincoln Ave., Charleston, IL 61920.

Jamie Landau

Jamie Landau is a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Speech Communication at the University of Georgia.