Spoken Language Power Grices Maxims and Face Theory. Flashcards
Outline all the maxims.
Quantity.
Quality.
Relevance.
Manner.
Define Quantity.
Say neither more nor less than the discourse requires.
Define Quality.
Do not lie; do not make unsupported claims.
Define relevance.
Be relevant to discourse.
Define manner.
Be brief and orderly; avoid ambiguity and obscurity.
Who theorised the face theory?
Erving Goffman (1955).
Outline Erving’s face theory.
Erving suggested that we present a particular image of ourselves to others. This ‘image’ is called our ‘face’.
We can attack other peoples ‘face’, in order to save or boost ours. And they can attack ours.
What does it mean to be tactful in terms of the ‘face’.
We can be tactful and will keep our reservations to ourselves in order to ‘save’ the other persons ‘face’ and hope they would also save ours as well.
What does it mean to reject the ‘face’ and define a face threatening act.
We may reject the ‘face’, or image that others present to us or we might accuse them of being insincere or mock them for trying to be more knowledgeable than they actually are.
If you say something that challenges or rejects someone’s ‘face’ this is known as a face threatening act.
Outline the purpose of the face.
To maintain status (power) either within the in society. People conversation or within society. People with lower status tend to be more attentive to the face needs of those who are higher status than them etc.
Define a super maxim.
A way that speakers support communication with each other, being polite and mindful of others’ personal or face needs.
Define a positive face need.
A universal human need to feel valued and appreciated.
Define a negative face need.
A universal human need to feel independent and not be imposed upon.
Define a face threatening act.
A speech act that has the potential to damage someone’s self-esteem either in terms of positive or negative politeness.
Define a politeness strategy.
Distinctive ways in which speakers can choose to speak to avoid threatening face.
Define a negative politeness strategy.
Speech that addresses someone’s negative face needs.
E.g. “I don’t mean to impose”.
Define a positive politeness strategy.
Speech that addresses someone’s positive face needs.
E.g. “Your work is amazing” etc.
Outline how a direct request affects face.
Threatens it by directly addressing a problem.
Outline how an indirect request
Avoids being explicit and therefore tries to minimise any threat to the face.
Define power asymmetry.
A marked difference in the power status of individuals involved in discourse.
Define an unequal encounter.
An alternative term for asymmetrical, highlighting the power one speaker has over another.
Define a powerful participent.
A speaker with a higher status in a given context, who is therefore able to impose a degree of power.
Define a less powerful participent.
Those with less status in a given context, who are subject to constraints imposed by a more powerful participants.
Define comnstraints.
A way in which powerful participants may block or control the contributions of the less powerful participants, for example through controlling content or interrupting.
Outline the effects of an unequal encounter.
In unequal encounters, the normal conventions of turn taking, such as an individuals ability to select turns and change the topic of conversations, do not operate as usual. Instead, it may be said that powerful participants place constrains upon less powerful ones and that these are a direct result of the power relationship between speakers.
What does it mean to break a maxim?
We can violate them - we break the maxims covertly, so that other people do not know. Essentially, we lie.
We can flout the maxims - We break it in an obvious way.
