Metaphor Reflection
Example
Paul, a third year student of Information Science, has a work placement in a small software company and feels badly treated by his boss.
Example
Paul, a third year student of Information Science, has a work placement in a small software company where five programmers work as well as the boss. Paul feels badly treated: he gets new assignments when he's just started work on a previous assignment. He continually hears from the boss that he's 'so slow' and that the boss doubts whether 'Paul has right the level needed for this type of work'. Paul is shocked by what he experiences as rudeness on the part of the boss. (step 1)
After further clarification questions from other students, it appears that other employees also have problems with the boss. Programmers often leave, for example, because they can't stand it there. It is not possible for Paul to change placements. Paul sees no possibility of challenging his boss about his attitude. (step 2)
Participants divide into two sub-groups to think about their metaphors. (step 3)
The metaphors are discussed. One group has summarised the situation (the surroundings) in a drawing of a large hyena (the boss) which is barking at a bird (Paul), who is trapped in a framework. Next to the hyena there are a few small dogs (the programmers), who are not able to stand up to the hyena.
Another group has made a drawing of the reflector. Paul is pictured as a balloon on a string, which is pushing against the ceiling but can't get any higher. The group explains the boss can pull the string. The balloon is trapped in the situation (the placement), but is also about to burst because of the internal pressure. (step 4)
Paul thinks that the hyena is well-chosen but he does not see himself as a bird. He also finds the metaphor of the balloon apt. The fact that he's about to burst had not really occurred to him, but he thinks it's a good description. Now he has this picture of the situation, he sees more clearly how oppressive the situation is.
On the basis of these two metaphors, the other participants sum up the situation in which Paul finds himself:
Powerless against unreasonableness.
Paul is trapped in his placement and sees no way out.
The boss wants the best from Paul but puts this across too harshly.
Paul cannot express himself and not 'be' himself.
Incompatibility of characters in an unequal position.
Learning point: make choices. (step 5)
Paul realises that he can make choices in this situation, however trapped he feels. The other participants have also learnt a great deal from this example. Some of them have not yet been on placement and so gain a foretaste of a situation with which they may be confronted in the future. (step 6)
