Metaphorical Representations of United States Healthcare Problems in Post-Event User-Generated Online Discourse

Introduction. This article dwells on the metaphorical construction of the U.S. healthcare system's image in online discourse following the assassination of UnitedHealthcare's CEO. The scientific novelty lies in a sociological interpretation of metaphors that construct social institutions’ images and legitimize public assessments and forms of collective action. The relevance of the study stems from the high conflict potential of healthcare, the commercialization of medical services, and social inequalities in access to treatment. Methodology and sources. The theoretical framework draws on the theory of metaphor by G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, critical discourse analysis, and sociological approaches to metaphor as a tool of social construction. The empirical base consists of 5,229 comments on materials published by the international media outlet MailOnline concerning the killing of B. Thompson, CEO of the largest U.S. insurance corporation. The study employs thematic analysis and lexicographic content analysis using the AntConc software; selection was based on the frequency and semantic salience of lexical units and metaphorical collocations. Results and discussion. The analysis reveals two primary objects of metaphorization: the healthcare system, including its financial and economic attributes, and the managers who ensure its operation. Through their discussion, users establish a dichotomy of “victims versus a dehumanized system”, a framework that legitimizes the violence committed. This user-generated discourse signals a profound social crisis and points to a potential for solidarity among parts of society in opposition to corporate domination. Conclusion. In post-event online discourse, metaphors function not only as rhetorical elements but also as epistemological mechanisms that shape collective understandings of the healthcare crisis and define the frameworks of social responsibility, moral evaluation of institutional order, and protest mobilization.

Authors: Saniya I. Boyarkina

Direction: Sociology

Keywords: digital public discourse, online public opinion, social construction of problems, conceptual metaphors, healthcare system, image of a social institution

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