Medical metaphors in art conservation: studying the image of the conservation profession through discourse analysis

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 22K20194
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0108:Sociology and related fields
• Research Institution: Independent Administrative Institution National Institutes for Cultural Heritage Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties
• Principal Investigator: OKAWA Yuka 独立行政法人国立文化財機構東京文化財研究所, 文化遺産国際協力センター, アソシエイトフェロー (10952070)
• Project Period (FY): 2022-08-31 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 文化財保存修復 / 概念メタファー / 批判的メタファー分析 / 計量テキスト分析 / 保存修復倫理

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study investigated the influence of medical metaphors on the understanding of conservation, employing cognitive metaphor theory in linguistics as a framework. It conducted both quantitative and qualitative analyses of prevalent medical metaphors present in conservation literature. The results revealed that conservation is often perceived as a beneficial action akin to medical intervention. However, the analysis also revealed limitations in medical metaphors' ability to fully elucidate the complex role of conservators as mediators among stakeholders in modern conservation practices. Nonetheless, metaphors still hold promise in describing the diverse roles within conservation, particularly through introducing concepts akin to end-of-life care in contemporary medicine.

Free Research Field

文化財保存修復倫理

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

文化や地域を超えたコミュニケーションが重視される昨今の保存修復学において、言語による概念構築の重要性を指摘した点は意義深いと考える。なぜなら、保存修復を専門としない者との対話を通じて、時に保存修復の偏ったイメージが定着する可能性があるからである。そのような可能性を認識することは、議論による保存修復処置の意思決定プロセスに慎重さを与える。また、認知言語学の理論や社会学における批判的談話分析の手法を用いた本研究は、保存修復の学際研究の道を開拓したといえる。