GENDER-RELATED INTERPRETATIONS OF METAPHORS IN CONSTRUCTION DISCOURSE: ONE CONCEPT, TWO STYLES

Abstract

This article examines how metaphors in construction discourse acquire gender-related stylistic interpretations when the same conceptual frame is expressed through different communicative preferences. Focusing on the widespread metaphor building as a living organism, the study treats metaphor not only as a cognitive model for understanding structures, but also as a pragmatic resource used to manage collaboration, justify decisions, and negotiate responsibility. Using a small corpus of professional interactions (design reviews, site meetings, and written comments on project documentation), metaphorical expressions were identified and interpreted through a combined cognitive–discourse approach. The results show that the organism metaphor is shared across speakers, yet it tends to be framed in two recurring styles: a more diagnostic–technical style and a more care–comfort style. The article argues that these styles are better explained by role, interactional goals, and genre constraints than by biological sex alone, although gendered socialization can shape preferred rhetorical choices.