CORRUPTION IS CRITICAL DISEASE: A Study of Conceptual Metaphor Toward Thai Language Users via Chat room involved in Political Issues

Abstract

 Corruption is defined as cheating or utilizing power which is unfair in order to receive benefits associated with properties, positions, roles and others. This is considered as a negative phenomenon whereby language users bring conceptual metaphor concerning critical disease to comparatively describe with the corruption in political context. Therefore, the objective of this research is to analyze metaphorical expressions that reflect the conceptual metaphor CORRUPTION IS CRITICAL DISEASE through Thais according to Conceptual Metaphor Approach proposed by Lakoff and Johnson (1980). Data is collected from Chat room on Pantip website entitled Ratchadamnoen where political topics are mainly selected to discuss. The result revealed 35 metaphorical expressions which compare corruption is critical disease and they are grouped regarding to 5 lexical fields; 1. addressing terms of critical disease 2. Patient 3. Disease spreading 4. Disease effect 5. Treatment and Disease’s result. These reflect Thai language users perspective through conceptual metaphor CORRUPTION IS CRITICAL DISEASE that affects harmfully for social and national levels because their experiences which perceive critical disease symptoms and side effects are brought to comparatively interpret in order to recognize disadvantages of corruption. Therefore, corruption should be resolved or metaphorically, the disease must be medically cured from Thai society.