Tuesday, April 15, 2008

- Politeness.

Politeness is one of the most important aspects of human communication: human being can only exist in peace together if certain basic conventions of politeness are observed. Politeness itself is socially prescribed or determined. Being polite is a good behavior but it does not mean it forces us to always being polite to everyone on every occasion. We may be quite impolite if there is no rule of politeness in society. Implicitly, there are different rules for every society. These differences may appear in the existence of standard of norms and values itselves. Generally, in different society/speech community may have different expression although its function is to express the same thing (Wardhaugh, 267).




As stated above, polite behavior differs from one to another and from one speech community to another. A polite person makes others feel comfortable. Being linguistically polite is often a matter of selecting linguistic forms which express the appropriate degree of social distance of which recognizes relevant status differences (Yagi, http://www.linguistic-online.de). Holmes (2001:268) states that being linguistically polite involves speaking to people appropriately in light of their relationship to you. Being polite involves many linguistic choices that consider the norms and values that exist in social interaction (society). Being polite to another means we need to know our social relationship, social distance and social status with the interlocutor. Geertz (in Wardhaugh, 1988:267) says that it is nearly impossible to say anything (being polite) without indicating the social relationship between the speaker and the listener in terms of status and familiarity.

According to Brown and Levinson (in Hartung, 2001:214), politeness strategies are developed in order to save the hearer’s ‘face’. The term ‘face’ refers to the respect of an individual and maintaining his/her ‘self-esteem’ in public or in private situations. Brown and Levinson’s (in Graiger, http://www.lboro.ac.uk) model of linguistic politeness seems use FTA (Face Threatening Acts) as their politeness strategies. FTA is an illocutionary acts are liable to damage or threaten another person’s face (Brown and Levinson in Leech, 1983:169). This FTA purposes to save the hearer’s face from embarrassments or uncomfortable conditions.

Brown and Levinson, (1987:61 in http://www.lang.ltsn.ac.uk) describe that FTA is needed by human being. These face needs are needed by each participant in normal human society. It has two types of face needs: the ‘positive face needs’ and the ‘negative face needs’. The positive face need is ‘the positive consistent self-image or “personality” (crucially including the desire that this self-image be appreciated and approved of) claimed by interactants’ and the negative face need is the basic claim to territories, personal preserves, rights to non-distraction – i.e. to freedom of action and freedom from imposition.

1. Positive Politeness
Positive politeness attends to a person’s positive face needs. It includes such speech acts as compliments, invitations, and greetings (Holmes, 1995:154). Positive politeness is based on solidarity, and where status difference is reduced. It means that when the solidarity is high (the social distance is to be close) and the status difference (social status) is reduced or decreased, the relation among the speaker and the hearer will be closer and will be nearly equal. Here, they (the speaker and the hearer) need to emphasize their shared of attitudes and values.
Politeness, particularly positive politeness is, too large extent, dependent on ritual which is defined by Brown and Levinson (1990:43) as ‘repetitive or pre-patterned behavior’. It is interpersonal rituals, primordial and sustains the sacred nature of human personality. The human personality is sacred thing; one dare not violate it nor infringe its bounds, while at the same time the greatest good is in communion with others (Durkheim in Brown and Levinson, 1990:44).

This positive politeness appears when a boss suggests that a subordinate be permitted to use first name (FN) to him/her. This is appositive politeness move, expressing solidarity and minimizing status differences. Shifts to more informal style using slangs and swear words will function similarly as an expression of positive politeness.

2. Negative Politeness
Negative politeness expresses respect and consideration (Holmes, 1995:154). Negative politeness attends to a person’s negative face needs such as saying something indirectly and saying apologies. This will pay the hearer’s respect and can be determined that the speaker avoids intruding on them, for example: (Adapted from JRR Tolkien’s novel ‘The Lord of the Rings’ part three: The Return of the King, 1966:15)
‘Hail, Lord and Steward of Minas Tirith, Denethor son of Ecthelion! I am come with counsel and tidings in this dark hour.’


The example above expresses negative politeness. The speaker in the dialogue greets his hearer by all of his title before his name itself. The speaker also uses the formal words ‘counsel’ instead advice and ‘tidings’ instead news. The usages of this expression indicate the social distance and status difference between the speaker and the hearer is far. Negative politeness express the speaker’s conversation to be appropriately in terms of social distance and respecting status differences with the interlocutors. Using title + last name (TLN) on your superiors, and to older people that you do not know well, are further examples of the expression of negative politeness.

References:

Holmes, Janet, 1995. Women, Men, and Politeness. Essex: Pearson Education.

Holmes, Janet, 2001. (2nd edition). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Essex: Pearson Education.

Wardhaugh, Ronald, 1988. (3rd edition). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Oxford: Blackwell.

http://www.linguistik-online.de/20_04/rash.html

http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/ea/politeness/

http://www.lang.ltsn.ac.uk/resources/goodpractice/

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