in interaction
Jonathan Culpeper
Direct + polite/impolite
So what is impoliteness?
Involves:
Language or behaviours which are negatively evaluated
in a particular context
They are negatively evaluated because they attack
somebodys identity or rights.
They cause specific emotional reactions (e.g. hurt,
anger)
I didnt particularly feel bad, but angry at the way she had
said that straight away when I got there. We arent
particularly friends but she was really rude in front of
others.
Sarcasm
[Letter in Lancaster Universitys electronic staff bulletin]
I would just like to say thank you to the person who
backed into my car on the perimeter road yesterday. It
was a wonderful surprise when I'd finished work and
made my way back to my car. [] As a single parent
and part-time member of staff on a clerical grade, I look
forward to receiving an obscene quote from my local
garage and then not eating for a week! Thank you SO
VERY MUCH.
Oh shit!
P:
SU:
ok
simon
I have to agree
with Pete
no with the other two
[inhalation] cos I always agree with what you think every
time I've watched the show=
=no I love your voice=
Key readings
Key readings
Additional readings:
Brown, Penelope and Stephen C. Levinson, 1987. Politeness: Some universals
in language usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [A classic. The
most popular politeness model.]
Culpeper, Jonathan (1996) Towards an anatomy of impoliteness, Journal of
Pragmatics 25: 349-67 [Something of a classic on impoliteness]
Leech, G. N. (1983) Principles of Pragmatics. Longman: London. [Another
classic. Elaborates his Politeness Principle. Lots of useful observations.]
Spencer-Oatey, H. (2000) Rapport management: A framework for analysis. In:
Helen Spencer-Oatey, Culturally Speaking. Managing Rapport through talk
across cultures. London: Continuum, 11-46. [Excellent overview of
politeness-related phenomena. The rest of the book focuses on cross-cultural
politenesses.]
Watts, R. J. (2003) Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. [Most
substantial recent work on politeness. Takes a post-modernist approach.]