The study focuses on communicative behaviour in Political Discourse, having in view the presence of elements of politeness and impoliteness. Political settings consist of rich and interesting elements of politeness and impoliteness. In order to achieve certain goals, politicians use politeness strategies. Nevertheless, impoliteness is salient when it occurs. In analyzing the data, some elements that trigger impoliteness will be followed.
Studies on politeness and impoliteness have acquired great popularity over the past few decades. However, they mostly emphasize the informal aspects of language. Politeness is conceptualized as strategic conflict avoidance. On the contrary, impoliteness is regarded as a violation of politic behaviour. Politeness and impoliteness are basic to any form of communication. The concepts of politeness and impoliteness play an important role in all kinds of discourses. One is Political Discourse.
Table of Contents
Argument
Chapter I. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
I.1. Politeness
1.2. Impoliteness
Chapter II. POLITENESS AND IMPOLITENESS IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE
II.1. Objectives of the study
II.2. Research Methodology
II.3. Data collection and analysis
Objectives & Core Topics
The primary objective of this dissertation is to examine the pragmatic application of politeness and impoliteness strategies within the context of political discourse. The research aims to identify how politicians utilize linguistic tools to mitigate or aggravate face-threatening acts, ultimately exploring how such behaviors function in parliamentary settings to achieve strategic goals and influence public perception.
- Theoretical frameworks of politeness (Brown & Levinson) and impoliteness (Culpeper).
- Analysis of Face Threatening Acts (FTAs) in political debates.
- The role of irony as both a tool for mitigation and as an impolite strategy.
- The distinction between impoliteness and rudeness in formal vs. informal contexts.
- Empirical study of "Prime Minister’s Question Time" and other political monologues.
Excerpt from the Book
I.1. Politeness
Politeness is part of a larger field of study, that of pragmatics, which also includes the study of deixis, speech acts, and impoliteness. In other words, pragmatics studies language in context.
Pragmatics of politeness tries to identify the reasons and meanings of the verbal strategies used for the achievement of the communicative act.
The word polite refers to an individual whose attitude is full of respect irrespective of the way he or she speaks or writes. Therefore, it can be used to refer to both verbal and non-verbal conducts. Still, the precise meaning of politeness may vary in different cultures. An example may be the Japanese bowing respectfully, while in some other countries politeness is associated with social class and power.
The main source of inspiration in the research phenomena is the work done by E. Goffman and P. Brown & S. Levinson. Goffman‘s study on politeness relies on the concept of face, that is an image people create in front of others while the other two theorists formulated a theory of politeness.
Researchers of both 18th century and modern ones view politeness as a linguistic instrument used by all societies in order to prevent or minimize disagreement, bypass social aggression, avoid conflict and develop the process of social interaction.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter I. THEORETICAL BACKGROUND: This chapter provides an overview of foundational theories regarding politeness and impoliteness, focusing on the concepts of face, territory, and Face Threatening Acts (FTAs) as defined by prominent scholars.
Chapter II. POLITENESS AND IMPOLITENESS IN POLITICAL DISCOURSE: This section applies the theoretical framework to practical examples from parliamentary debates and political speeches, analyzing how politicians strategically manage face-to-face interactions.
Keywords
Politeness, Impoliteness, Pragmatics, Political Discourse, Face Threatening Acts, Face, Territory, Irony, Rudeness, Communication, Strategies, Parliamentary Debates, Mitigation, Linguistic Aggression, Social Interaction
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research?
The research explores the pragmatic use of politeness and impoliteness strategies within the specific environment of political discourse.
What are the primary thematic areas?
The study centers on the theoretical definitions of politeness, the classification of Face Threatening Acts, the function of irony, and the practical analysis of political debates.
What is the main objective of the thesis?
The main objective is to identify polite elements in political discourse and investigate the triggers and functions of impoliteness in political argumentation.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The methodology relies on qualitative pragmatic analysis, using frameworks from Brown & Levinson (politeness) and Culpeper (impoliteness) to interpret real-world parliamentary transcripts.
What is covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section analyzes empirical data from "Prime Minister’s Question Time" and other international political debates to demonstrate how politicians use language to attack or defend face.
How can the key terms of the study be summarized?
The core terms are politeness, impoliteness, face, face-threatening acts, irony, and political discourse.
Why is "Prime Minister’s Question Time" used as a study object?
It provides a high-stakes, adversarial environment where participants are under constant pressure to defend their position, making it an ideal context for studying both face-aggravating and face-mitigating language.
How does irony function in this context?
Irony is analyzed as a dual-purpose tool: it can serve as a friendly mitigator to make criticisms softer, or as a sharp intensifier used to mock or ridicule political opponents.
What is the distinction between impoliteness and rudeness according to the author?
The author argues that while impoliteness is associated with linguistics and formal strategic communication, rudeness is more of a "folk" term often linked to historical contexts and blatant lack of manners.
- Quote paper
- Necsoiu Mariana (Author), 2021, Politeness and Impoliteness in the Political Discourse, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1158424
