Doorways of Understanding: A Generative Metaphor Analysis

Abstract: In this paper, we explore the use of a generative metaphor for analyzing qualitative interviews on abortion attitudes. U.S. abortion attitudes are notably complex and multidimensional, thus, requiring subtle, complex, and multidimensional tools of study. We used the generative metaphor of a "doorway" as an analytic tool to enable new understandings of abortion attitudes as expressed across 24 one-on-one semi-structured qualitative interviews with U.S. adults. The doorway metaphor gave us an understanding of the ways in which participants thought of their abortion attitudes as open to revision or change to some degree while also being closed to revision in other ways. This spectrum of openness and closedness does not come into view when examining abortion attitudes through the dichotomous framings. In this methodological paper, we thoroughly describe how we used the metaphor to explicate the complexities and multi-dimensionalities of a person's abortion attitudes. https://www.qualitative-research.net/index.php/fqs/article/view/4097

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: Doorways of Understanding: A Generative Metaphor Analysis ; volume:25 ; number:1 ; year:2024 ; Forum qualitative Sozialforschung ; 25, Heft 1 (2024)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Haus, Katie ; Hadfield, Jaclyn ; LaRoche, Kathryn ; Dennis, Barbara ; Turner, Ronna ; Crawford, Brandon ; Lo, Wen-Juo ; Jozkowski, Kristen

Further information

• DOI: 10.17169/fqs-25.1.4097
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024020319233253152703
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:25 AM CEST