Positive politeness strategies are based on Brown and Levinson’s theory about politeness in general. They distinguish between two kinds of politeness – positive and negative politeness. Even though their theory about speech acts has been developed in 1978, it does not seem to be outdated. Brown and Levinson are still the leading linguists in the field of politeness who explain which positive politeness strategies people follow during speech acts.
The strategies of positive politeness not only apply to speech, to spoken language and recorded speech; but also to written texts. There seems to be a difference in use of positive politeness strategies in written texts and speech act. Various problems occurred while working on the paper. First, it was very difficult to find an interview, which could be downloaded from the internet. Secondly, this interview had to be interesting enough to make it pleasurable to work on. And lastly, it was necessary to find an interview which can be used throughout this paper as an example to illustrate all 15 strategies of positive politeness. This seemed to be the most substantial problem. It is almost impossible to find an interview, which follows all 15 strategies. I assume that not all 15 strategies of positive politeness had been used during the interview.
This paper will deal with documentary of the British rock band Coldplay. It was recorded from the BBC homepage, where you find links to British radio stations, and I edited the interview by cutting out musical interludes. The talk was broadcasted on Radio 1 in the Steve Lamacq’s show “Bigger, Stronger - Coldplay's early days”1. Even though I contacted Radio 1, I was not able to find out the exact date when the interview was broadcasted.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Politeness in General
- 3. Positive Politeness on the Example of a Radio Documentary
- 3.1 Claim Common Ground
- 3.2 Convey that Speaker and Hearer are Cooperators
- 3.3 Fulfil Hearer's Wants
- 4. Conclusion
- 5. Attachment
- 6. References
Objectives and Key Themes
This paper analyzes the use of positive politeness strategies in a radio documentary featuring the British rock band Coldplay. The objective is to illustrate how these strategies, based on Brown and Levinson's theory of politeness, function within a specific speech act. The analysis focuses on identifying and categorizing the employed strategies, demonstrating their application in a real-world example.
- Positive politeness strategies in spoken language
- Application of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory
- Analysis of a specific speech act (Coldplay radio interview)
- Categorization of politeness strategies (e.g., Claiming common ground)
- Differences between written and spoken positive politeness
Chapter Summaries
1. Introduction: This introductory chapter sets the stage for the paper, outlining the focus on positive politeness strategies within the framework of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory. It highlights the challenges faced in finding a suitable interview for analysis, emphasizing the need for an example rich enough to illustrate the various positive politeness strategies. The chapter introduces the chosen radio documentary featuring Coldplay and explains the selection process. The difficulty in finding an interview that completely exhibits all 15 strategies is acknowledged, setting realistic expectations for the scope of the analysis.
2. Politeness in General: This chapter establishes the theoretical foundation for the analysis by discussing the concept of politeness and its significance in maintaining social order and preventing conflict. It introduces Brown and Levinson's distinction between positive and negative politeness, explaining the concepts of positive and negative “face” and their role in politeness strategies. The chapter emphasizes the enduring relevance of Brown and Levinson's theory in the field of politeness studies, and it briefly defines the core concept of "face" as central to understanding politeness strategies.
3. Positive Politeness on the Example of a Radio Documentary: This chapter delves into the core analysis, applying Brown and Levinson's framework to the chosen Coldplay radio documentary. It outlines the chosen subcategories for analysis: "claim common ground," "convey that speaker and hearer are cooperators," and "fulfil hearer's wants." The chapter focuses solely on the band members' dialogue, excluding the interviewer's contributions and introductory sections. The methodology involves identifying and categorizing instances of positive politeness strategies within the selected excerpts from the interview. Specific examples, using numbered quotations, are introduced to illustrate the application of the discussed strategies within the specific conversational context.
3.1 Claim Common Ground: This subchapter focuses on one of the three main categories of positive politeness, examining the eight different strategies within it as they appear in the Coldplay interview. The analysis specifically points out the high frequency of exaggeration as a positive politeness strategy employed by the band members. Numerous examples of this strategy are provided and analyzed to demonstrate its function in the context of the interview, illustrating how exaggeration contributes to the overall communicative style and establishes a sense of camaraderie between the speakers and the audience. Although the chapter focuses on the frequency of exaggeration, it also acknowledges the presence of other strategies from this category. The analysis of the examples emphasizes the contextual use and effect of these strategies on the interview's dynamic.
Keywords
Positive politeness, negative politeness, Brown and Levinson, face-threatening acts, speech acts, radio documentary, Coldplay, exaggeration, claiming common ground, cooperation, fulfilling hearer's wants, politeness strategies, spoken language analysis.
FAQ: Analysis of Positive Politeness Strategies in a Coldplay Radio Documentary
What is the main topic of this paper?
This paper analyzes the use of positive politeness strategies in a radio documentary featuring the British rock band Coldplay. It applies Brown and Levinson's theory of politeness to a real-world example, focusing on identifying and categorizing the employed strategies within a specific speech act (the interview).
What are the key themes explored in the paper?
The key themes include positive politeness strategies in spoken language, the application of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory, analysis of a specific speech act (the Coldplay interview), categorization of politeness strategies (like claiming common ground), and exploring the differences between written and spoken positive politeness.
What is the structure of the paper?
The paper is structured as follows: Introduction, Politeness in General, Positive Politeness on the Example of a Radio Documentary (including a sub-chapter on "Claiming Common Ground"), Conclusion, Attachment, and References. Each chapter provides a summary and detailed analysis relevant to the central theme.
What theoretical framework is used in the analysis?
The analysis is based on Brown and Levinson's theory of politeness, which distinguishes between positive and negative politeness strategies and the concepts of positive and negative "face." The paper examines how these concepts apply to the chosen example.
Which specific politeness strategies are analyzed?
The analysis focuses on positive politeness strategies, particularly those related to "claiming common ground," "conveying cooperation between speaker and hearer," and "fulfilling the hearer's wants." Within "claiming common ground," the paper particularly examines the use of exaggeration.
What is the chosen data for analysis?
The data for analysis is a radio documentary featuring the British rock band Coldplay. The paper specifically analyzes excerpts from the band members' dialogue, excluding the interviewer's contributions and introductory sections. The selection process was challenging due to the need for an interview rich in positive politeness strategies.
What methodology is employed in the analysis?
The methodology involves identifying and categorizing instances of positive politeness strategies within the selected excerpts from the Coldplay interview. Specific examples, using numbered quotations, illustrate the application of the discussed strategies within their conversational context.
What are the key findings or conclusions of the paper?
(Note: The provided text doesn't explicitly state the *conclusions* of the analysis. It details the methodology and the setup, but the actual findings from the analysis of the Coldplay interview are not summarized.) The paper aims to demonstrate the application of Brown and Levinson's politeness theory in a real-world conversational setting, specifically highlighting the usage of positive politeness strategies in a spoken language context.
What are the keywords associated with this paper?
Positive politeness, negative politeness, Brown and Levinson, face-threatening acts, speech acts, radio documentary, Coldplay, exaggeration, claiming common ground, cooperation, fulfilling hearer's wants, politeness strategies, spoken language analysis.
Where can I find the full text of this analysis?
(Note: The provided text only offers a preview. The location of the full text is not specified.)
- Citar trabajo
- Anett Senftleben (Autor), 2005, The use of Positive Politeness Strategies considering a Specific Speech Act., Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/41810
