Intercultural discussion of conceptual universals in discourse: joint online methodology to bring about social change through novel conceptualizations of Covid-19

The study has two main aims: (1) to describe a novel, joint, online course methodology arising from international academic collaboration (EDUC) and to highlight its efficiency in discursive strategies that target value judgments to foster social change; and (2) to explore socio-cultural and linguistic dimensions of the conceptualization of Covid-19, focusing on how conceptual metaphors provide frameworks that shape understanding and behavior, and how academic discourse emphasizing objectivity and consistency can alter these frames. The context is a cross-cultural educational setting where participants from multiple cultures discuss Covid-19-related discourse and metaphors, revealing universal cognitive traits and culture-specific differences relevant to intercultural pragmatics and communication.

Building on Conceptual Metaphor Theory (Lakoff and Johnson, 1980, 1999) and subsequent developments, the paper reviews how metaphors function as cognitive models that structure abstract concepts by mapping from concrete source domains (e.g., ARGUMENT IS WAR/BUILDING). It notes visual and multimodal metaphor research (Forceville, 2008) and critiques/extensions such as conceptual integration networks and emergent structure (Fauconnier and Turner, 1998; Wilson and Carston, 2006). The literature on health communication highlights the pervasiveness and mixed effects of WAR metaphors in oncology (Ervas et al., 2016; Semino et al., 2018; Sontag, 1978), and traces their transfer to Covid-19 discourse where they were used by political leaders to mobilize populations but drew criticism for negative entailments and implications. Framing theory (Entman, 1993; Burgers et al., 2016) and perspective-changing functions of novel metaphors (Steen, 2008) contextualize how metaphors can influence evaluations, behaviors, and policy acceptance. The review also references debates on pandemic metaphors across philosophy and science communication, and inventories alternative framings emerging in public and scientific discourse (e.g., collaboration, ecosystem perspectives, enlightenment).

The paper reports on a joint, online EDUC course co-taught by researchers in philosophy of language and pragmatics (Universities of Cagliari and Pécs), engaging students from multiple cultures (e.g., Italy, the Netherlands, Hungary, Turkey, China). The course leveraged MS Teams breakout rooms to form random cross-cultural groups and same-culture groups for targeted discussions on conceptual metaphors and discourse. Participants examined eight curated articles representing diverse perspectives on Covid-19 (political, media, biological, scientific, and health communication). Each group identified the underlying conceptual metaphors in its assigned text, analyzed framing effects, and discussed socio-cognitive and cultural implications. The methodology emphasized real-time intercultural exchange, metacognitive reflection on conceptual models, and the contrast between political WAR framing versus alternative framings (e.g., enlightenment, collaboration, ecosystem protector). Outcomes were synthesized across groups to map an intra-cultural spectrum of metaphors and to explore reframing potentials for social change. The platform aimed at efficient knowledge transfer and at fostering openness to multiple interpretations through immediate, multicultural feedback.

- Covid-19 discourse exhibits a spectrum of conceptual metaphors ranging from negative frames (COVID IS WAR; virus as enemy, killer, intruder) prevalent in political and mass media discourse, to positive or alternative frames (COVID AS ENLIGHTENMENT/ALARM CLOCK/OPPORTUNITY FOR CHANGE; COVID AS COLLABORATION; COVID AS PROTECTOR OF THE ECOSYSTEM) more present in scientific and biological perspectives. - The WAR metaphor, while mobilizing, carries negative entailments (e.g., fear, isolation, authoritarian framing, zero-sum thinking) and can marginalize non-heroic essential roles, potentially undermining cooperative, community-based responses. - Intra-cultural variation is substantial: within the same broad culture, different sectors (e.g., biology, health communication) adopt divergent metaphors, such as firefighters rather than soldiers for healthcare workers, or ecosystem-oriented framings recognizing viruses as components of life systems. - Intercultural academic discourse facilitated perspective integration and openness, revealing universal aspects of metaphorical cognition and culture-specific variations in framing Covid-19. - Reframing towards positive, collaborative metaphors (e.g., ENLIGHTENMENT, ALARM CLOCK) emphasizes prevention, long-term perspectives, spatial distancing with social closeness, and community collaboration, which may better support resilient, prosocial behaviors. - The authors propose COVID AS ENLIGHTENMENT as a preferable overarching metaphor, contrasting it with COVID AS WAR and articulating the differing implications for societal behavior and policy acceptance.

The findings address the research questions by demonstrating that metaphors operate as cognitive frames that shape public understanding and behavior during a social crisis, and that intentional reframing through intercultural academic discourse can open pathways to social change. The EDUC platform’s joint course methodology provided immediate cross-cultural feedback, allowing participants to detect both universal cognitive patterns and culture-specific metaphor usage. This setting highlighted how political WAR framing can centralize authority and promote fear-based compliance, whereas alternative frames like ENLIGHTENMENT or COLLABORATION encourage community solidarity, preventive mindsets, and constructive behavioral change. The analysis underscores that academic discourse can function as an intervention on discourse itself: by making the metaphorical nature of conceptualization explicit, it equips participants to critically evaluate and adopt frames that align better with long-term societal wellbeing, public health goals, and intercultural cooperation.

The study contributes a novel, joint online educational methodology for intercultural discourse analysis and demonstrates its utility in revealing and reshaping metaphorical conceptualizations of Covid-19. It confirms that conceptual metaphors act as cognitive models that not only structure understanding but can be deliberately shifted to influence beliefs and behaviors. As an alternative to the dominant COVID AS WAR frame, the authors advocate COVID AS ENLIGHTENMENT, emphasizing collaboration, prevention, spatial distancing with social closeness, and opportunities for positive change. The EDUC joint course is presented as an effective platform to cultivate open-mindedness and to disseminate reframing strategies that support social change. Future research directions include systematic analysis of additional metaphors (e.g., vaccination as race), deeper examination of intra- versus inter-cultural variations across disciplines, and evaluation of the behavioral impact of alternative framings in public communication and policy contexts.