METAPHORIC CONCEPTUALISATION OF PAIN BY LUBUKUSU SPEAKERS IN DOCTOR-PATIENT CONSULTATION

Abstract

This study undertook a cognitive approach to metaphtonomies of pain, with specific reference to native Lubukusu patients and non-native Lubukusu health practitioners in doctor-patient consultations. The assumption is that communication mismatches can occur when a non-native doctor and a Lubukusu-speaking patient use metaphors of pain in health discourse. The study was guided by the following objectives: to establish metaphtonomies of pain as conceptualized by Lubukusu speaking patients in the framework of doctor patient consultation in selected health facilities in Bungoma County, to analyze how image schemas account for metaphtonomies of pain among Lubukusu speaking patients, to categorize typologies of metaphtonomies of pain into conceptual domains as conceptualised by Lubukusu speaking patients in the framework of doctor patient consultation in Webuye County Referral Hospital, Bungoma County. The study was anchored in the Conceptual Metaphor Theory (CMT) and the Image Schemas Theory (IST). To achievement the objectives of the study, simulated patient approach was utilized to elicit the required data for analysis. The respondents participated in Focus Group Discussions. The study utilized the Metaphor Identification Procedure Vrije Universiteit (MIPVU) which is an improved version of Metaphor Identification Procedure (MIP), in order to establish the manifestation of metaphorical or metonymical lexical items.The qualitative data was analyzed thematically by coding categories which were then organized according to conceptual domain. The generic-level metaphors and metonymies were then mapped into different kinds of conceptual domains. Qualitative data was presented in themes. The study provided empirical evidence about the close interaction between Lubukusu language, body, mind and cultural aspects of the embodied mind. In addition, since emotions are a widely studied area of scientific research, doctors, biologists, psychologists, cognitive scientists and linguists, the findings of this study will be invaluable to them. The study established that Lubukusu has the following etaphtonomies of pain as conceptualized by Lubukusu speaking patients; direct metaphor related words with tangibility, direct metaphor related words with intangibility and metaphor related words. It was lalso revealed that there are various categories typologies of metaphtonomies of pain under conceptual domains. Image schemas also account for metaphtonomies of pain among Lubukusu speaking patients. It is hoped that the findings of this study will be significant in bridging the body of knowledge and enhancing theory development in cognitive linguistics