Opening the analytical imagination: Metaphors and the qualitative analysis of community phenomena

Qualitative researchers commonly use metaphors to explore and discuss community development conditions, models, and practices. Yet no specific attention has been given in the community development literature to the elements and techniques that inform the conceptualization and integration of metaphors with qualitative analysis. Without deliberation and intentionality, the likelihood of metaphors becoming shallow wordplay and unnecessary distractions to the qualitative community development researcher is high. Accordingly, this essay provides a concise primer and set of recommendations for qualitative researchers to use to amplify the heuristic and expressive value of metaphors when studying community phenomena. The essay articulates the attributes of metaphors as qualitative analytical devices and explores factors that influence the integration of enriched metaphors with the analytical elements of qualitative community development research. The articulation and recommendations that follow center on three principal elements that span the creation and application of metaphors as heuristic and expressive devices. The elements are (1) intended function, (2) source and target domain conceptualization and structural form, and (3) quality initiation and activation. Qualitative community development researchers are encouraged to act on the recommendations in ways that spark their imaginations and strengthen their analysis and the presentation of the findings that follow.