Politeness Principle & Cultural Cues Flashcards
What is it (for) ?
- Theoretical foundation by Grace & Leech
Maximizing respect & minimizing friction - preservation of others self-esteem and maintenance of harmony
purpose
- social harmony
-demonstration of respect
-> varying norms across, politeness tailored to expectation
-> essental for effective communication: reflection of interest in target cultures
Leschs Politeness Maxime - tact maxime
- minimizing imposition, maximizing benefit to others
- indirect language to soften requests
generosity maxime
- prioritizing others´needs - collectivist cultures
appropriateness
culturally adaptive - content dependent
positive Politeness - Types of politeness
- expressing solidarity, friendliness
- e.g. compliments, inclusive language (“we” .. “let us”)
negative Politeness (through negation= Ablehnung) - Types of politeness
- minimizes imposition e.g. “I`m sure you won’t want to…
- apologizing, indirect phrasing (I don’t meant to bother, but could you)
Off record politeness - Types of Politeness
- hints instead of imposing, discretion in response
- instead of suggesting opening a window, hint at being asked: “Its quite warm I here”
Western cultures- low context cultures ( e.g. USA, Germany)
appreciation of time-effective communication
- variation of politeness norms based on how it is culturally expressed!
eastern cultures - high-context cultures (Japan, China)
- relationship-focused & indirect communication
- variation of politeness norms based on how it is culturally expressed!
Japan - Politeness
- non-verbal respect: bowing, distant proxemics (distanzierte, zwischenmenschliche Signale), avoidance of direct eye contact
- avoidance of direct rejection: confrontative
- “Sumimasen”: “excuse me” - serves as apology & request equally
China - Politeness
- indirect communication: direct refusals are rare; “saving one’s face” is important
- humidity shown by downplaying compliments - making compliments is appreciated, taking them is not
South Korea - Politeness
- important empathic on age ( & marital status)
- honorific prefixes and suffixes
- older people are always addressed formally, unless they offer otherwise
- age & rank play a critical role: rude and impolite to address someone with higher rank with no honorific suffix
United States - Politeness
- directness is common, however politeness markers are appreciated
- compliments are given only, appreciated and reciprocated
- typically opening conversation by asking “how are you doing”
-thanking people for taking time (e.g. in meetings that you asked for)
germany - politeness
- punctuality shows respect, especially inlayer ranks
-clarity in communication: truthfulness, direct feedback - criticism is straightforward, however is appreciated
politeness in Middle East
greeting rituals
* warm greetings, inquiries about well-being and family are common
❖ hospitality
* emphasis on inviting guests, offering food, giving gifts without expectation of reciprocity
* hospitality is expected and reciprocated
❖ respect for religious practices
* sensitivity for prayer times, religious topics are approached with utmost care
* you wait for the host to initiate conversations about potentially sensitive topics
politeness is African cultures
❖ community emphasis
* interactions prioritize group harmony and cohesion
❖ greeting norms
* handshakes often involve prolonged contact; friendliness and connection emphasized
❖ respect for hierarchies
* older individuals addressed formally; titles are signs of respect
Politeness in Latin American Cultures
❖ expressive & warm interactions
* affectionate greetings, often involving cheek kisses
❖ relationship-building comes before business
* casual conversations and small talk precede business conversations
❖ indirect requests
* appreciation of softened directness (‘would you mind…’, ‘do you think it would be
possible to…’)
Do (everywhere)
❖ active listening
❖ adapt
❖ use titles (Prof., Dr., Sir, -san…)
Do (everywhere)
❖ hierarchy-sensitive communication
❖ diplomacy
❖ respect punctuality norms (e.g. Germany vs. Latin
America)
* in Latin America, punctuality is perceived much more flexible
Don’t (anywhere)
❖ stereotype
❖ overfamiliarity
❖ assume English as default
Don’t (anywhere)
❖ interrupt
❖ assumptions about eye-contact
❖ gestures without knowing context
