Language and Power Flashcards
Instrumental Power
To make people do things or make things happen.
Example texts: legal or official documents, rules, contracts, etc.
Example within the text: Imperative sentences, modal auxiliaries (must, will, can), formal register.
Influential Power
Power is used to make people believe or support something - to persuade or influence others.
Examples: Assertions (opinions stated as facts), embedded assumptions (you will want to read this), metaphoric references (“ a healthy economy”, the economy is not actually ‘healthy’)
Grices Maxims
Relevance - be relevant
Quantity - dont say too much, too little.
Quality - is it truthful
Manner - be clear and well spoken.
Brown and Levinson
In any interaction, we present an image of ourselves, this is called the “face”.
> if anything is said or done which challenges or rejects anothers face, it is a “face-threatening act”
Face needs are met by positive and negative politeness:
> Positive politeness - when we show people they are liked: done through flattery, showing interest and making it obvious we enjoy their company.
> Negative politeness - when we avoid intruding on other people’s lives - this involves in indirect language, apologetic and respectful.
Robin Lakoff
Most conversational interaction is governed by the “politeness principle” - she defined this by three maxims speakers usually observe:
> Dont impose - similar to negative politeness: “sorry to bother you”
> Give options - “it’s entirely up to you” “do you want to go first?”
> Make your receiver feel-good - show you appreciate them “Id really appreciate your opinion on this”
Wareing
Personal power - a result of their occupation e.g. teacher, manager, employer, etc.
Political power - held by politicians, the law e.g. police officers and workers in law courts.
Social group - those who held power as a result of social variables e.g. class, gender, and age.
Conversational features
Who leads the talk?
Who chooses/changes the topic?
Who interrupts/backs down?
Who comments on what is said?
Who uses politeness strategies?
Who uses ‘face-threatening acts’?
Who uses tags, fillers, and hedges?
Who talks most?
Who uses directives and what kind?
The dominant participant will…
> Initiate the conversation
Set the agenda
Control the topics
Reinforce the required behavior >through positive feedback
Interrupt
Overlap
The passive participant will…
> Respond rather than initiate
Say very much less, even be largely silent
Follow the set agenda of the conversation
Use the respectful, form of address, avoid familiarity
Avoid assertiveness by not interrupting
Use fillers and vague language
