Dave at Whitby Abbey Department of Communication
Portland State University

Dr. David Ritchie
Professor 
Office:  Neuberger Hall 41
Phone: 725-3550


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Courses, Spring 08:
Sp410/Sp510  Metaphors, Issues, & Elections

Courses, Winter 08:

Sp5410/510 Humor

Sp4/510 Conversation

Curriculum Vitae

Personal:

Hiking

Australia

biography

Climbing Mt. Hood
July 6, 2001

a few of my poems

Other Sites: 

Communication Dept
Mainpage

Communication 
Associations

Metaphor Analysis
Project Webpage

Other Interesting
Web Pages



Last updated Feb. 1, 2008
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Portland State University
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e-mail cgrd@pdx.edu

New Courses for Spring, 2008
Look for the following course on metaphor, to be offered in a fully on-line format in spring quarter, 2008:

Sp410 (64439)/ Sp510 (64444) Metaphors, Issues, and Elections

            Metaphors, Issues, and Electionswill analyze examples of political metaphors from the current or previous political campaigns, drawing on current cognitive theories of metaphor use and understanding.  This course will be fully on-line.

Most of my recent scholarly work has involved cognitive theories of metaphor and figurative language. 

My book, Context and Connection in Metaphor, was published in late 2006 by Palgrave-Macmillan.
Table of Contents    Preface

Other recent publications include:
Gateshead revisited:  Perceptual simulators and fields of meaning in the analysis of metaphors. (2008).  Metaphor and Symbol, 23, 24-49.

Frame-Shifting in Humor and Irony.  (2005).  Metaphor and Symbol, 20, 275-294.

Lost in space: metaphors in conceptual integration theory. (2004) Metaphor and Symbol, 19, 31-50.

Metaphors in Conversational Context:  Toward a Connectivity Theory of Metaphor Interpretation. (2004).  Metaphor and Symbol, 19, 265-287.

Statistical Probability as a Metaphor for Epistemological Probability. (2003).  Metaphor and Symbol,18, 1-11

Categories and Similarities:  A Note on Circularity. (2003).  Metaphor and Symbol, 18, 49-53. 

Argument is War – Or is it a Game of Chess?  Multiple Meanings in the Analysis of Implicit Metaphors. (2003).  Metaphor and Symbol, 18, 125-146.

Scholarly program
 
In my current research, I examine the use and interpretation of figurative language as a way of understanding how people in urban communities talk about issues both within and between groups, and how meaning and social structure are co-created in talk.  I welcome participation in my research by both undergraduate and graduate students, and I have developed a sequence of courses to introduce students to key theories and concepts in this area.  Two of these courses will be offered spring quarter 2008 (see the announcement at the top of this page).