Women, blood, and dangerous things

Socio-cultural variation in the conceptualization of menstruation

Bibliographic Data

ID21819656
AuthorsMargot Vancauwenbergh (0000-0003-0178-9544, University of Antwerp, corresponding author), Karlien Franco (0000-0001-6499-265X, Research Foundation - Flanders)
Year2024
Volume16
Issue2
Pages505-535
Publication date2024-06-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueLanguage and Cognition (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1866-9808 • E-ISSN: 1866-9859
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/langcog.2023.45
OpenAlexW4387704435
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited28

This study examines a collection of expressions for the taboo topic of menstruation in Dutch, German, and Mandarin Chinese. A model for the identification of conceptualization patterns in taboo verbalizations is set up, analyzing each expression according to the X-phemistic mechanisms and, if applicable, the metaphorical source domains or metonymic vehicles at its origin. The various conceptualizations of menstruation are approached from a socio-cultural perspective; variation in conceptualization is examined through a correspondence regression analysis with three speaker-related explanatory variables (L1 and associated cultural background, menstrual experience, and age group). The underlying interest is linguo-cultural as the study aims to verify whether dominant menstrual attitudes are reflected in the linguistic conceptualization of menstruation within each socio-cultural group. Such correlations are indeed found, although the youngest age-group shows some unexpected linguistic behavior

Conceptualization · Developmental psychology · Linguistics · Menstruation · Sociology · Taboo · Anthropology · Language, Discourse, Communication Strategies · Language, Metaphor, and Cognition · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology · Swearing, Euphemism, Multilingualism

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