Synecdochic and metonymic chains in the organizing narratives of PRC forensic genetic research targeting Uyghurs in Xinjiang.

In this paper, I demonstrate how synecdochical and metonymic chains function in the semiotic narrative schema of forensic genetics articles. Greimas’s narrative schema and work on categories provides a framework that can be synthesized with cognitive linguistic advances on synecdoche and metonymy ch...

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Publicado en:Public Journal of Semiotics Vol. 11; no. 2; pp. 27 - 47
Autor principal: Munsterhjelm, Mark
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: Public Journal of Semiotics 2025
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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        atl: Synecdochic and metonymic chains in the organizing narratives of PRC forensic genetic research targeting Uyghurs in Xinjiang.
      aug:
        au: Munsterhjelm, Mark
        affil: Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
      su:
        Forensic genetics
        Uyghur (Turkic people)
        Organization
        Greimas, Algirdas Julien, 1917-1992
        Narration
        Metonyms
        Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu (China)
        China
      sug:
        subj:
          Xinjiang Uygur Zizhiqu (China)
          China
          Forensic genetics
          Uyghur (Turkic people)
          Organization
          Greimas, Algirdas Julien, 1917-1992
          Narration
          Metonyms
      keyword:
        cognitive linguistics
        forensic genetics
        metonymy
        narrative schema
        synecdoche
        synecdochical and metonymic chains
        Uyghurs
      ab: In this paper, I demonstrate how synecdochical and metonymic chains function in the semiotic narrative schema of forensic genetics articles. Greimas’s narrative schema and work on categories provides a framework that can be synthesized with cognitive linguistic advances on synecdoche and metonymy chains to understand how meaning is created in organizational interactions through the circulation of objects of value. Based on an empirical analysis of controversial forensic genetic articles involving Uyghur subjects on ancestry inference marker and phenotype (visible appearance) inference marker research projects, it shows how scientists from the Chinese Ministry of Public Security and other scientists organize through a shared manhunting narrative schema. In this schema, Society and/or Humanity send scientists quests to protect society by improving forensic genetic technologies to variously track down and capture or kill criminals, separatists, insurgents and terrorists. Utilizing recent advances in theorization of synecdoche, the article shows how synecdoche functions in the categorization of Uyghurs as "Eurasian" and "mixed East Asian and European" populations. It also shows how synecdoche and metonymy function through syllogisms to mediate relations and the exchange of objects of value such as Uyghurs’ genetic materials and data between the phases and sub-narratives of the scientific articles’ narrative schema.
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    language: English
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