IT IS ALLOWED TO PROHIBIT: “WOKE”, “DEI” AND THE ROPE OF METAPHOR.

Abstract

The recent decline of affirmative action policies for higher education admissions in the US, both in the Supreme Court and in referendums, was preceded by a strong propaganda campaign linked to neoconservative groups. One aspect of these massive campaigns, which has made them permanent, is metaphorization. This article discusses this, particularly the cases of the terms "Woke" and "DEI." The methodology is a case study, based on documents and theoretical scrutiny. The result demonstrates the presence of inquisitional mechanisms in the process of demonizing public policies that guarantee equality, diversity, and inclusion, which operate to enforce upward redistribution within the current framework of political capitalism in the US.