New ways to face and (im)politeness
New ways to face and (im)politeness
Contributor(s): Ewa Bogdanowska-Jakubowska (Editor)
Subject(s): Social Sciences, Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Communication studies, Sociolinguistics
Published by: Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Śląskiego
Keywords: sociolinguistics; intercultural communication; politeness; impoliteness; the concept of face
Series: Nauki społeczne
- E-ISBN-13: 978-83-8012-452-3
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-83-8012-451-6
- Page Count: 242
- Publication Year: 2016
- Language: English
On culture, face and politeness. Again
On culture, face and politeness. Again
(On culture, face and politeness. Again)
- Author(s):Maria Sifianou
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:15-30
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:culture; face; politeness
- Summary/Abstract:Research on face is undergoing a move away from face being viewed as an individual construct to a more interactional one under the influence of discursive approaches to politeness. In this framework, it has been argued that like politeness, face is an interactional phenomenon and should be explored as such (see, e.g., Arundale, 2010; Haugh, 2010; O’Driscoll, 2011a).However, face and politeness are different kinds of concepts, the understanding of which probably necessitates different frameworks. Untangling face from (im)politeness in research is, to my mind, a necessary first step because if face and politeness are researched independently, we may be able to understand their meanings better and see their possible connections with fresh eyes (see, e.g., Haugh & Bargiela-Chiappini, 2010; O’Driscoll, 2011b; Haugh, 2013).Drawing on data from Greek, I will try to substantiate my contentions that: • face is a relational phenomenon but not necessarily an interactional one; • it makes sense to talk about face as an individual possession (with group repercussions), and as a pre-existing (though not static) entity with enduring aspects; • the association between face and politeness may not be as strong as has been assumed.
- Price: 4.50 €
Multiple contexts of face
Multiple contexts of face
(Multiple contexts of face)
- Author(s):Ewa Bogdanowska-Jakubowska
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:31-50
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:multiple contexts; face
- Summary/Abstract:Face is a sociocultural construct which is based on the person’s sense of identity and expectations as to how his/her self-image should be created, and constitutes a property of relationship between interactants (cf. Arundale, 2006; Bousfield, 2008; Spencer-Oatey & Franklin, 2009). As such it appears to be strongly context dependent. Context is understood here as “aspects of the social environment” which become “observable” by their consequences on discourse, or by the influence of discourse on social situations (van Dijk, 2006, p. 164). Contexts of social interactions in which face is constituted are “subjective participant interpretations” of the relevant aspects of the social environment.The aims of the study are to analyse the mechanisms responsible for face creation during social interaction and to investigate the role of context as a subjective face-constituting factor. Face has a structure which can be compared to lettuce; it gets softer towards its centre. Some aspects of face, the central (internal) ones, are most sensitive and vulnerable to attack or damage; others – the more distant from the centre (external) are less vulnerable to face-threats. It may be assumed that in the majority of cultures people display affective sensitivity to the same aspects of face, the only difference is in the degree of their importance and in their location relative to the centre of face. Irrespective of the degree of sensitivity specific to a particular aspect of face, we can observe different contexts in which particular aspects of face are foregrounded.
- Price: 4.50 €
Is the Italian figura just a facet of face? Comparative remarks on two socio-pragmatic key-concepts and their explanatory force for intercultural approaches
Is the Italian figura just a facet of face? Comparative remarks on two socio-pragmatic key-concepts and their explanatory force for intercultural approaches
(Is the Italian figura just a facet of face? Comparative remarks on two socio-pragmatic key-concepts and their explanatory force for intercultural approaches)
- Author(s):Gudrun Held
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:53-75
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Italian; figura; face; intercultural
- Summary/Abstract:The art of fare una bella figura is commonly considered as the cultural and societal cornerstone of the Italian way of life: covertly, but constantly regulating the Italian identity in its everyday interaction, it is not only an aesthetic and spirited show-off, but also a soulful and diplomatic manner of communication that makes foreigners surrender in feelings of admiration, envy or simple misunderstanding. I thus presume that the specific cultural concept of figura is a facet of the general concept of face as it is shaped in modern theories of pragmatics and cultural studies. While being pragmatically interrelated, the two concepts, nevertheless, reflect very different conceptualizations of the social image that they transport through history, discourse and literature. Overall, neither their communities, nor their differences have ever been studied systematically.As both, figura and face manifest themselves in the ongoing social performance, they are also a semiotic phenomenon that is mainly displayed in language use. Hence, the idiomatic expression “making a good or a bad figura” refers to verbal manners that can also be evaluated in terms of face-saving or face-losing. Therefore, I argue that “figuring” the figura in the right verbal way is nothing else than the Italian version of facework that is historically learned and culturally approved. Fare figura thus implies a range of strategies that are likely to keep up a context-appropriate “impression management” between felt solidarity and simulated equality.The present paper – part of a larger work in progress – takes up these theses. Intending to deepen both, affinities and differences of the two concepts, it is concerned with the following aims: (1) a brief comparative study of the two notions taking into account their terminological history, their idiomatic collocations and their discursive development; (2) an outline of the main socio-pragmatic concepts of face (and facework or face negotiation) in order to work out similarities and differences with the concept of figura; (3) a discussion of these findings within the theory of (im)politeness (throughout the different stages of research where the traditional issue = first order politeness is distinguished from the scientific issue = second order politeness); (4) a short evidence from selected data (namely Italian internet-blogs on the tragedy of Costa Concordia) where the figura-concept is emotionally discussed in terms of national stereotype. It is thus not only the main subject of the ongoing intercultural debate, but it also provokes a big variety of language strategies that visibly perform the bella or brutta figura in action.
- Price: 4.50 €
Compliments and compliment responses and their effects on the hearer’s face in researcher-supervisor interaction
Compliments and compliment responses and their effects on the hearer’s face in researcher-supervisor interaction
(Compliments and compliment responses and their effects on the hearer’s face in researcher-supervisor interaction)
- Author(s):Marzieh Bashirpour, Imtiaz Hasnain
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:77-96
- No. of Pages:20
- Keywords:compliments; compliment responses
- Summary/Abstract:Daily interpersonal communication is required to interact with people for initiating, developing, defining, maintaining and progressing or sustaining a relationship. Compliments are polite acts providing positive impressions that help in establishing relations, developing confidence and the sense of self-esteem for the hearers. They vary from culture to culture, for instance, while they are generally paid and appreciated in Western culture (Holmes, 1986), in the Eastern culture (Gu, 1990; Chen, 1993) they are rejected or denied. Compliments are also defined as maintaining, enhancing, or supporting the addressee’s face through admiring or approving someone’s work, appearance or taste (Goffman, 1967). Face is something that is emotionally invested and that can be lost, maintained or enhanced. This paper investigates different functions of compliments such as praising, reinforcing a desired action, sarcasm and disapproval, in the context of cross-cultural differences in interaction, focusing on PhD students (different nationalities) who enrolled for studies in Aligarh Muslim University, India and their supervisors in order to understand how and in which contexts they affect the hearer’s face as being positive or negative, and what is the compliment response.
- Price: 4.50 €
Face in official intercultural interaction
Face in official intercultural interaction
(Face in official intercultural interaction)
- Author(s):Jiayi Wang
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:97-112
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:face; official interaction; intercultural interaction
- Summary/Abstract:This study, with a data-driven approach to the problem, explores the “who” of face in Sino-American official interaction. Using the empirical data from a nearly one-month-long Chinese delegation trip to the United States, the study contributes to our understanding of the conceptualisation and operationalisation of face in official intercultural interaction. The data revealed that face was a central interpreting frame for the Chinese officials. My analysis suggests that face is not just individual and can be a group possession as well. At a group level, it could simultaneously involve multiple layers.
- Price: 4.50 €
Face and politeness in Irish English opinions – a study amongst Polish and Irish students
Face and politeness in Irish English opinions – a study amongst Polish and Irish students
(Face and politeness in Irish English opinions – a study amongst Polish and Irish students)
- Author(s):Weronika Gąsior
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Communication studies, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:113-130
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:face; politeness; Polish students; Irish students
- Summary/Abstract:Epistemologically, an opinion is different from a fact. However, emotionally, that difference can be more blurry. In a study of exchanges of opinions among Polish and Irish English speakers those emotional attachments to opinions on the one hand, and the importance of facts on the other, become apparent. These differences can cause conflict in intercultural communication. While Poles are believed to express opinions which are “dogmatic” (Wierzbicka, 1985), English opinions tend to be stated so that they are clearly distinguishable from a statement of fact (Mullan, 2010). This study aimed, firstly, to describe the politeness characteristics of the speech act set of exchanging opinions in two linguistic groups: Polish-Irish and Irish-Irish interactions in English. Secondly, it examined issues of socio-pragmatic principles of expressing opinions in Ireland. Discourse data was gathered in six open role-plays, which were followed by focus groups exploring the issues of sociocultural constraints in expressing opinions. The results point towards a difference in cultural scripts (Wierzbicka, 1994) for opinions in the two linguistic groups; confirm previous classifications of Polish and Irish cultures as favouring positive and negative politeness respectively; and provide an insight into the affective side of exchanging opinions.
- Price: 4.50 €
The usage of diminutives in polite phrases as a way to express positive/negative politeness or to formulate face-threatening acts in Polish
The usage of diminutives in polite phrases as a way to express positive/negative politeness or to formulate face-threatening acts in Polish
(The usage of diminutives in polite phrases as a way to express positive/negative politeness or to formulate face-threatening acts in Polish)
- Author(s):Paulina Biały
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Translation Studies
- Page Range:133-155
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:diminutive; polite phrase; express; positive politeness; negative politeness; face; threatening acts
- Summary/Abstract:Expressive polite phrases, namely the ones containing diminutive forms, play a significant role in interpersonal communication. According to Ożóg (1990, p. 72), they are aimed at convincing the addressee of special, and not only formal or perfunctory, attitude of the speaker towards him/her. Moreover, as it is usually the case, they are applied in situations when the speaker wants to maintain the addressee’s positive face, for instance he/she wants to express meanings such as familiarity, intimacy, or liking. Nevertheless, sometimes they may be used as acts threatening the addressee’s positive or negative face. Usually, in the case of diminutives, face-threatening acts are done off record, when the speaker wants to express irony, disrespect and pitifulness. This article aims at answering the question about the role of diminutives in polite phrases. Are they always related only to positive politeness? How is their presence in a sentence perceived by the addressees? Moreover, the comparison between Polish and English will be provided as these two languages differ significantly in terms of expressing emotions in a conversation. In order to get answers for the questions mentioned above, a short questionnaire, containing some typical expressive polite phrases, was distributed among a representative number of native speakers of Polish and English, in order to assess whether the presence of diminutives influences their impressions and reactions to these sentences.
- Price: 4.50 €
Āp kitnā kamāte haĩ? “How much money do you earn?” The Indian way of politeness
Āp kitnā kamāte haĩ? “How much money do you earn?” The Indian way of politeness
(Āp kitnā kamāte haĩ? “How much money do you earn?” The Indian way of politeness)
- Author(s):Magdalena Varga
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Applied Linguistics, Studies of Literature, Sociolinguistics, Comparative Study of Literature, Other Language Literature
- Page Range:157-168
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Indian; politeness
- Summary/Abstract:Everyone is aware of the fact that ignorance and the lack of proper knowledge are our worst enemies in every field of life. Therefore, it will not be an exaggeration to say that they are the cause of the most undesired results in the process of communication.The present paper shows how the language competence not followed by the knowledge of cultural background and context may lead to gaffes or misunderstandings at best, and even to offences and conflicts at worst. Its main goal is to outline the complex connection between family and caste in particular, or broadly speaking – community and religion in India, and to show the specificity of their influence on Hindi, the most widely known language of the Indian subcontinent. The paper describes all the most important factors which are crucial to the Indian concept of “face.” They also present grammatical and lexical measures and politeness strategies with the use of which Hindi speaking people deal within the multilevel socio-cultural relations and are able to coexist with each other more or less peacefully. Finally, the nuances one should take into account while making conversation with Hindi-speaking partner are mentioned.
- Price: 4.50 €
Omoiyari – the key word of harmonious Japanese communication
Omoiyari – the key word of harmonious Japanese communication
(Omoiyari – the key word of harmonious Japanese communication)
- Author(s):Maria Spiechowicz
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Foreign languages learning, Applied Linguistics, Sociolinguistics
- Page Range:169-186
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:omoiyari; key word; harmonious; Japanese communication
- Summary/Abstract:Omoiyari is known as one of the most ideal ways of behaviour in Japanese society. The word has been translated in Japanese-English dictionaries as nouns: “consideration,” “sympathy,” “empathy,” “compassion,” and as adjectives: “thoughtful” and “sensitive.” Additionally, Rohlen (1974) suggested combinations of English words such as “concerned sensitivity,” “empathetic sensing,” “concerned empathy” and “concerned emphatic kindness.” However, as Travis (1992) showed in her work, none of these words correspond to the full meaning of omoiyari, which is described in Japanese primary schools’ curricula as “Omoiyari tte nan darou. Doushitara ii no” (“What is an omoiyari. What is the best thing to do?”) and by Lebra (1976) as a way of harmonious Japanese communication and coexistence with others. Omoiyari, similarly to other types of behaviour, needs to be taught to children by their families and schools.The paper aims to approach the meaning of omoiyari as a concept which Japanese linguists, like Lebra and Japanese teaching curricula and books like “Katei kyouiku techou” (“Home education notebook”), try to present to Japanese children and non-Japanese speakers. Furthermore, the paper aims to address the question whether omoiyari is a unique concept of communication typical only for the Japanese language or if it could be found in Polish as well. In order to illustrate that, the situations in which Japanese people perform omoiyari are presented and the typical reactions of Polish people in the same situations are described.
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The concept of GOD’S FACE as an anthropopathism in the Old Testament
The concept of GOD’S FACE as an anthropopathism in the Old Testament
(The concept of GOD’S FACE as an anthropopathism in the Old Testament)
- Author(s):Marcin Kuczok
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language studies, Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Theology and Religion, Comparative Studies of Religion, Semantics, Cognitive linguistics
- Page Range:189-205
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:GOD’S FACE; Old Testament
- Summary/Abstract:The aim of the paper is to present the concept of GOD’S FACE functioning as an anthropopathism in the language of the Old Testament. According to biblical scholars, anthropopathisms along with anthropomorphisms constitute the metaphorical means for the personification of God in the Bible. It means that in biblical discourse, God is perceived as a human being by referring either to His appearance (anthropomorphism), or feelings, attitudes and ways of interaction with people (anthropopathism). Interestingly, from a linguistic perspective, the concept of FACE may function in language as a metonymy for emotions. In Anna Wierzbicka’s view, facial paralanguage replaces the linguistic production and it is possible to talk about “the semantics of facial expression.” In the Old Testament, the personified God’s facial paralanguage includes showing and hiding His face, turning it to/against people, as well as looking, listening and eating. Those descriptions exhibit numerous instances of the application of the concept of GOD’S FACE to express a variety of God’s feelings and attitudes towards people. The range of God’s emotions presented in this way involves both positive feelings, such as joy, peace and safety, as well as the negative ones, such as offence, anger or terror. Moreover, GOD’S FACE teaches and guides people or judges and destroys them. In addition, it can be observed that THE FACE FOR THE EXPRESSION OF EMOTIONS metonymy co-occurs with such metonymies as THE FACE for the person, the presence, the personality, and the confrontation with someone, producing complex interactions of conceptual mappings.
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Analysis of Japanese political analytic articles: Making face salient to explain actions in political interactions
Analysis of Japanese political analytic articles: Making face salient to explain actions in political interactions
(Analysis of Japanese political analytic articles: Making face salient to explain actions in political interactions)
- Author(s):Yasuhisa Watanabe
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Politics, Language and Literature Studies, Media studies, Applied Linguistics, Communication studies, Theory of Communication
- Page Range:207-221
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:Japanese; political analytic article; face; political interactions
- Summary/Abstract:In Japanese newspapers and web journal articles analysing political and international relations, the Japanese counterparts of the term “face”, for example kao, mentsu, taimen (Yabuuchi, 2004) as well as tachiba, considered as the key to describe interpersonal relationships (Haugh, 2005), are frequently used. The emic notion of Japanese face and its construals (Spencer-Oatey, 2007) are used to explain actions or the lack of actions by a politician and a government as a result of saving or claiming face. The face that each participant, be it a person or an organisation, claims is an image of itself, formed through ongoing relationships among participants and observers in the political arena. Facework among the participants unfolds in forms of decisionmaking, political power game and war. Goffman’s (1967) formulation of face and facework is still applicable in describing the face of a politician and a government in these articles.The aim of this chapter is to analyse the Japanese emic face on its own through the analysis of Japanese political analytic articles, which make direct references to emic notion of face as cultural insiders (Haugh, 2013). I will firstly demonstrate how Japanese emic face is applied to describe intra-national and international political relations in Japanese political analytic articles. I will then reaffirm the ongoing nature of face, both between participants and in public, and the role that non-participants play in maintaining one’s face.
- Price: 4.50 €
Face and ethics in professional interpreting
Face and ethics in professional interpreting
(Face and ethics in professional interpreting)
- Author(s):Ewa Bogdanowska-Jakubowska
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Language and Literature Studies, Theoretical Linguistics, Applied Linguistics, Communication studies, Pragmatics, Sociolinguistics, Cognitive linguistics
- Page Range:223-237
- No. of Pages:15
- Keywords:face; ethics
- Summary/Abstract:Interpreting can be considered a form of intercultural communication in which at least three participants take part – primary participants (the speaker and the hearer(s)) and the interpreter. This is interpreter-mediated communication in social interaction (Jacobsen, 2009). Thus the interpreter, like any other interaction participant, has face – “an image of self delineated in terms of approved social attributes” (Goffman, 1967, p. 5). Face, which is created during social interaction, is both a property of relationships and a property of the individual, and is shaped by culture and the role he/she performs. Among the socially relevant qualities of the individual’s self-image, we can distinguish three groups of attributes: • attributes tied to moral conduct (e.g., adherence to the code of professional ethics), • attributes tied to a position in a social setting (e.g., professional competence of the interpreter), • attributes tied to interpersonal skills and facework competence (e.g., coordinating/mediating skills).To maintain face participants engage in facework (Goffman, 1967), actions which address face, involving threat and support as well as actions aimed at maintaining face.The aim of the study is to analyse the interpreter’s professional face, its ethical aspect in particular, and facework strategies employed during interpreting. The study has been carried out within the framework of the Cultural Face Model (Bogdanowska-Jakubowska, 2010).
- Price: 4.50 €
