4>(im)politeness Flashcards
politeness=
being socially cooperative
impoliteness=
being socially UN-cooperative (not always overt)
‘Face’=
perceptions one individual holds, regarding how tohers perceive them (social identity)
B&L> 2 types of desire surrounding face>
- negative face
-positvie face
B& L> negative face>
the desire to be UNIMPEDED in one’s actions (not to be told what to do, constrained etc)
B&L> positive face>
the desire to be APPROVED of
(^wish for compliments, seen as valuable, treated nicely etc)
Face-saving=
strategies that miminise threat to face (aka a face-threatening act)
face-threatening act=
threat to face
Politeness strategies> directed at hearer’s negative face>
when presuming, coercing, personalising
Politeness strategies > directed at hearer’s positive face>
when claiming common ground with hearer, conveys that they are COOPERATORS, fulfilling a want of hearer or improving their social image
B& L politeness & rationality>
-argue politeness rationality is universal
- to get things done without creating unnecessary conflict it is RATIONAL to respect others’ face wants
- implicatures of politeness arise when a conversational maxim is flouted because of RATIONAL responses from hearer & speaker
B&L politeness & 3 key variables that can control contextual variation>
- relative power (R)
- social distance (D)
- ranking of imposition in that culture
B&L face loss risk>highest to lowest>
1>if do FTA> on record> baldly
2>if do FTA>on record>with redress (positive/negative politeness)
3> if do FTA> off record
4>if dont do FTA
off-record=
finding a way of getting something non-linguistically (e.g. “i really need a laptop”)
on-record=
performing FTA verbally
(‘baldly’ as highest this can go)
Bald-on-record>
- impolite
- no attempt to save others face
B&L criticisms>
- cross-cultural variation means framework is inaccurate when applied to all
>greek care more about positive face
>japan have other more important notions
>china as ‘group-harmony’ centrered
Leech (1983) politeness principle>
-minimize (other things being equal) the expression of impolite beliefs
- maximise (other things being equal) the expression of polite beliefs
leech politeness principle difference to B&L>
- PP is not confined to ‘inhibiting’ face threats
- instead it is centred on the minimisation of impolite beliefs & the maximisation of polite beliefs
Leech-politeness maxims (6)
1> Tact maxim
2> Generosity maxim
3> Approbation maxim
4> Modesty maxim
5> Agreement maxim
6> Sympathy maxim
Leech-Politeness maxims> TACT
- minimise COST to other
- maximise BENEFIT to other
(found in impositives & comissives)
Leech-Politeness maxims> GENEROSITY
- minimise BENEFIT to self
- maximise COST to self
(found in impositives & comissives)
Leech-Politeness maxims> APROBATION>
- minimise DISPRAISE of other
- maximise PRAISE of other
-(found in expressives & assertives)
Leech-Politeness maxims> MODESTY
- minimise PRAISE of self
- maximise DISPRAISE of self
(found in expressives & assertives)
Leech-Politeness maxims> AGREEMENT
- minimise DISAGREEMENT between self & other
- maximise AGREEMENT between self & other
(found in assertives)
Leech-Politeness maxims> SYMPATHY
-minimise ANTIPATHY between self & other
- maximise SYMPATHY between self & other
waves of impoliteness: 1st>
-1st: based on B&L & leech
waves of (im)politeness> 2nd
criticised 1st & suggested 3 area to improve:
i>broader discourse theories;
ii>longer sequences of utterance in context;
iii> layperson’s conception of impoliteness
waves of (im)politeness> 3rd>
- Noted 2nd couldnt properly produce (im)politeness theories as not a real framework
- Focuses on:
i> how (im)politeness is co-constructed in interaction &
ii>how context types & conventionalised behaviour constrain perceptions of (im)politeness & moral order
Pragmalinguistic politeness=
involves the meaning of the utterance OUT of context
pragmalinguistic politeness & positive politeness>
-positive politeness as STRENGTHENED
(e.g. “thank you VERY much”)
pragmalinguistic politeness & negative politeness>
- negative politeness can include HEDGING
(e.g. “i’ll take just a little bit”>more effort, more politeness)
sociopragmatic politeness=
involves politeness IN context (language + content)
Sociopragmatic politeness> e.g.s>
- A has lent B something of LITTLE value
“thanks” would be considered an adequate, whereas “thank you so much” would be overpolite
-A has lent B something of GREAT value> “thanks” as almost impolite; “thank you so much” as adequate
