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Putting your Best Face Forward: Politeness Theory at Work

Putting your Best Face Forward: Politeness Theory at Work. Yvonne Anderson Spring PD April 30 th , 2009. Acknowledgements . Alan Aldrich, University of South Dakota “Face it! Reference Work and Politeness Theory Go Hand in Hand” . What is politeness?.

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Putting your Best Face Forward: Politeness Theory at Work

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  1. Putting your Best Face Forward: Politeness Theory at Work Yvonne Anderson Spring PD April 30th, 2009

  2. Acknowledgements ... • Alan Aldrich, University of South Dakota “Face it! Reference Work and Politeness Theory Go Hand in Hand”

  3. What is politeness? • “provides a verbal way to relieve interpersonal tension arising from communicative intentions that conflict with social needs and statuses” (Eelen, 2001, p. 5).

  4. Politeness Theory • Brown & Levinson’s (1987) Politeness:Some Universals in Language Usage • Sociolinguistic theory

  5. Politeness Theory • “useful as a model of how to communicate strategically” (Goldsmith, 2007, p. 232). • Focuses on avoiding conflict • All about “face”

  6. Face • Our public self-image or identity • Is not static • Is vulnerable

  7. Negative & Positive Face • Negative (Autonomy) Face: • Wants to be unimpeded • Wants to act without interference • Positive (Solidarity) Face: • Wants to be appreciated • Wants to make connections

  8. Which face is this? • Face #1 • Face #2

  9. Face Threatening Acts! (FTAs) • Tend to be the requests or demands we make of others • Can avoid FTAs, but then nothing gets done

  10. FTAs • Negative (Autonomy) Face-threats: • orders, advice, reminders, promises, compliments • Positive (Solidarity) Face-threats: • disapproval, criticism, feeling not cared about, disagreements

  11. Face-Wants • Appealing to Negative (Autonomy) Face: • language of deference  emphasizing distance, formality • Appealing to Positive (Solidarity) Face: • language of solidarity  common ground, caring, sympathy

  12. FTA Options ... • Don’t do it! • Just do it! • Positive (solidarity) politeness strategies • Negative (autonomy) politeness strategies • “Off the record” politeness strategies

  13. How to choose? • Function of: • Power relationship (P) • Social distance (D) • Perceived risk of the demand (R)

  14. Face it … • We all feel better when our “face” is being respected • Satisfaction closely tied to a good interpersonal transaction • Why we aren’t just “efficient” • Just for fun ...

  15. Resources • Brown, P., & Levinson, S.C. (1987). Politeness: Some universals in language usage. New York: Cambridge University. • Eelen, G. (2001). A critique of politeness theories. Manchester: St. Jerome Pub. • Goldsmith, D. (2007). Brown and Levinson's politeness theory. In B.B. Whaley & W. Samter (Eds.), Explaining communication : contemporary theories and exemplars (pp. 219-236). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

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