The Theories and Application of (IM)politeness
By: Brett Clark, Jack Gage, Natalie Puckett
Pragmatic View of (IM)politeness
(IM)politeness is an issue in our society. There are social norms that are unspoken and accepted by society. It can cause controversy when people don’t follow these ‘rules of society.’ There are many theories and ideas about the concept of (IM)politeness that have been studied and researched.
One of the most well known theories regarding politeness is associated with Brown and Levinson. Their theory only focuses on politeness, not impoliteness. Their theory has been used since the 1970s, and is centered around the concept of face. This is not your physical face, but a hypothetical face, which describes the way you present yourself to the public. This may be intentional, or unintentional, but everyone has one. It is important that you recognize what your own face is, and support it, or change it if you’re unhappy with it.
There is a positive and negative face. Having a positive face means you are firm and strong in what you believe or think, and that you are accepted by a part of a group. Positive faces seek to be supported and approved by others, to be a part of ‘we.’ On the other hand, having a negative face means you are independent and have a certain space to yourself. One with a negative face respects others space, and does not intrude upon it. They want to be seen as their own individual, and not be held down by others.
One of the most well known theories regarding politeness is associated with Brown and Levinson. Their theory only focuses on politeness, not impoliteness. Their theory has been used since the 1970s, and is centered around the concept of face. This is not your physical face, but a hypothetical face, which describes the way you present yourself to the public. This may be intentional, or unintentional, but everyone has one. It is important that you recognize what your own face is, and support it, or change it if you’re unhappy with it.
There is a positive and negative face. Having a positive face means you are firm and strong in what you believe or think, and that you are accepted by a part of a group. Positive faces seek to be supported and approved by others, to be a part of ‘we.’ On the other hand, having a negative face means you are independent and have a certain space to yourself. One with a negative face respects others space, and does not intrude upon it. They want to be seen as their own individual, and not be held down by others.
“You can be an awesome person, have everything going for you,
be really intelligent . . . but if you display yourself in a certain demeanor,
that’s what people are going to think of you as. Often times we tend
to judge a book by its cover, rather than for who they really are,
based off the perception you see of a person.”
be really intelligent . . . but if you display yourself in a certain demeanor,
that’s what people are going to think of you as. Often times we tend
to judge a book by its cover, rather than for who they really are,
based off the perception you see of a person.”
Another important thing to know about face is that it is a two-way street. Consider the statement, “Don’t step on my face, sucka, and I won’t step on yours.” This means that mutual respect is important, and goes along with the golden rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated. One’s face isn’t permanent; face can be saved, maintained, threatened, and enhanced. One example of a threat to ‘face’ was during President Obama’s State of the Union Address. In the middle of his speech, a South Carolina’s congressman yelled, “You lie!” in front of the entire political arena. This put Obama’s face in risk, by implying that he is a liar, which clearly put him in a negative light. In all of our conversations, we need to be attuned to our face, and what we are projecting.
Social Norms View
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Most Common Social Norms of (IM)politeness:
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Please and thank you. Most people would define
politeness as using these two words whenever applicable. However,
actions play a major role in how people see politeness, because it greatly varies across cultures. For example, some people from one culture
may act in a way that seems acceptable, but people from another culture
would comprehend those actions as impolite. The
definitions of politeness and impoliteness are very difficult to define
because they vary drastically from culture to culture. Even within
cultures, politeness can be viewed differently based on specific
situations.
According to an article written by Jonathan Culpepper, there a two types of social norms: prescriptive social norm and experiential social norm. Prescriptive social norm is a rule of behavior enforced by social sanctions. The norms in society are created by rules that are approved of by the people. Norms can be changed into a moral situation when disagreements occur within a society. Fraser states in Culpepper’s article, “Each society has social norms that have a set of rules that expect a certain type of behavior.” When people evaluate these behaviors positively, it is seen as polite. When the behavior is seen negatively, it is viewed as rude or impolite.
Experiential social norm view is based on personal experiences of social sanctions. Reactions to a certain situation over and over again may lead to the expectations for some type of interaction to take place. Culpepper explains that books and other types of learning the social norms do not compare to the amount we will learn through life experiences. This is what makes the experiential view so effective. Linguistic politeness is very important and often used without much thought. For example, using the words please and thank you when applicable are forms of linguistic politeness.
These two forms of the social norm view often blend together. People may be pressured into acting some way because society says that’s the right thing to do, but concurrently might be natural for us to do based on our own experiences.
According to an article written by Jonathan Culpepper, there a two types of social norms: prescriptive social norm and experiential social norm. Prescriptive social norm is a rule of behavior enforced by social sanctions. The norms in society are created by rules that are approved of by the people. Norms can be changed into a moral situation when disagreements occur within a society. Fraser states in Culpepper’s article, “Each society has social norms that have a set of rules that expect a certain type of behavior.” When people evaluate these behaviors positively, it is seen as polite. When the behavior is seen negatively, it is viewed as rude or impolite.
Experiential social norm view is based on personal experiences of social sanctions. Reactions to a certain situation over and over again may lead to the expectations for some type of interaction to take place. Culpepper explains that books and other types of learning the social norms do not compare to the amount we will learn through life experiences. This is what makes the experiential view so effective. Linguistic politeness is very important and often used without much thought. For example, using the words please and thank you when applicable are forms of linguistic politeness.
These two forms of the social norm view often blend together. People may be pressured into acting some way because society says that’s the right thing to do, but concurrently might be natural for us to do based on our own experiences.
Rachel Jeantel Analysis
After watching the Rachel Jeantel interview in class, our guest speakers agreed that Rachel's actions and behavior in the courtroom was misunderstood, and analyzed solely based on stereotypes. One of the African American women said, “I think it was really unfair the way they treated (Rachel) in the media, because they were analyzing her behavior due to a lot of stereotypes. That is a really big problem that we have, as far as the nation’s impoliteness towards a certain group of people.” Rachel was not intentionally being disrespectful, but naturally speaks using Ebonics. This is why Zimmerman wasn't able to understand her clearly, because he is not familiar with her dialect.
After being asked to repeat her answers many times, Rachel did begin to get aggravated, although anyone can agree that is a frustrating action. Another one our guest speakers stated, "I feel like she was just taking time to think about (the conversation). Yeah, she was getting frustrated, personally I probably would have controlled my emotions, but at the same time you don’t know what she’s going through.”
Both the social norms theory and the pragmatic both play a role in Rachel Jeantel's questioning. The prescriptive social norms view is about socially accepted behaviors, which includes speaking in standard American English in professional settings. There are many individuals who are not aware of Ebonics, and don't understand the difference between that dialect and slang. Therefore, when Rachel used Ebonics in the courtroom, the opposing party couldn't understand her, and misinterpreted her speech as "uneducated" or as slang. On the other hand, the experimental social norms view for Rachel is to continue speaking in Ebonics. She does not see anything wrong with using that dialect in the courtroom, because that is what she has been using her whole life. She doesn't know anything different.
The pragmatic view ties into the Rachel Jeantel's interview because she is trying to save her “face” by being a reliable source for the Trayvon Martin case. She repeats her and Trayvon's phone conversation word for word, without editing or paraphrasing. Unfortunately, their use of Ebonics and Rachel's soft-spoken voice made it difficult to understand her. The common person who is unaware of Ebonics and how it works in the African American speech community, would read her attitude and the way she responded to the questions as impolite and uneducated.
After being asked to repeat her answers many times, Rachel did begin to get aggravated, although anyone can agree that is a frustrating action. Another one our guest speakers stated, "I feel like she was just taking time to think about (the conversation). Yeah, she was getting frustrated, personally I probably would have controlled my emotions, but at the same time you don’t know what she’s going through.”
Both the social norms theory and the pragmatic both play a role in Rachel Jeantel's questioning. The prescriptive social norms view is about socially accepted behaviors, which includes speaking in standard American English in professional settings. There are many individuals who are not aware of Ebonics, and don't understand the difference between that dialect and slang. Therefore, when Rachel used Ebonics in the courtroom, the opposing party couldn't understand her, and misinterpreted her speech as "uneducated" or as slang. On the other hand, the experimental social norms view for Rachel is to continue speaking in Ebonics. She does not see anything wrong with using that dialect in the courtroom, because that is what she has been using her whole life. She doesn't know anything different.
The pragmatic view ties into the Rachel Jeantel's interview because she is trying to save her “face” by being a reliable source for the Trayvon Martin case. She repeats her and Trayvon's phone conversation word for word, without editing or paraphrasing. Unfortunately, their use of Ebonics and Rachel's soft-spoken voice made it difficult to understand her. The common person who is unaware of Ebonics and how it works in the African American speech community, would read her attitude and the way she responded to the questions as impolite and uneducated.
One question we asked the girls considered Rachel Jeantel’s behavior during the trial. Because they can relate closely with her as African American women, they believed that her behavior was normal for the circumstance. They thought she was treated very harshly during the case, and that she was unappreciated. It was frustrating for them to watch the video of the court case because they thought the lawyers were trying to make her appear uneducated. All of our guest speakers agreed they would have reacted in the same manner if they were put in that position. Outsiders of that cultural background would have assessed Rachel’s behavior as extremely impolite, especially in a court room. These differences in beliefs are due to the social norms that are accepted in different cultures.
Conclusion
What is the purpose of learning about (IM)politeness? Most people believe they understand politeness and that it is simple to act and speak politely. On the contrary, most people do not realize a lot of their actions may be considered impolite to those from a different cultural background. It is crucial to realize who you are in proximity to and how to behave appropriately, in order to protect your 'face' and be considerate of others.
What is the big deal about Rachel Jeantel in the Trayvon Martin court case? Many people believe that she behaved extremely impolite on the stand, and that she spoke in an uneducated manner. However, it is important to understand how others speak. The African American speech community communicates in a very different style than other English speaking cultures. It can be very easy to overlook these details, but it is important to notice them so people can be educated, build a mutual respect boundary, and understand each other.
What is the big deal about Rachel Jeantel in the Trayvon Martin court case? Many people believe that she behaved extremely impolite on the stand, and that she spoke in an uneducated manner. However, it is important to understand how others speak. The African American speech community communicates in a very different style than other English speaking cultures. It can be very easy to overlook these details, but it is important to notice them so people can be educated, build a mutual respect boundary, and understand each other.
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
-Jackie Robinson
References
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Interview . (2014, April 15). YouTube. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dicahjTejb4&feature=youtu.be
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http://www.thenation.com/blog/175009/thank-you-rachel-jeantel
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Troutman, D. (n.d.). Intro to Politeness. Angel Learning. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
https://angel.msu.edu/section/default.asp?id=SS14-WRA-150-027-97CVHH-EL-04-054
Culpepper, J. (2009, January 1). Course Not Available. English Language. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
https://angel.msu.edu/section/default.asp?id=SS14-WRA-150-027-97CVHH-EL-04-054
Impolitness. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
https://www.google.com/search? q=visual+rhetoric&es_sm=93&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=fnZZUzCAsaI3AXW94CgBA&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=643#q=Impoliteness& bm=isch&facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=N4sszX0_TZkq4M%253A%3BvGOGpHBTZRAuhM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fizquotes.com%252Fquotes- pictures%252Fquote-a-kind-soul-knows-impoliteness-is-just-preoccupied-with-distraction-mike-dolan- 298609.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fizquotes.com%252Fquote%252F298609%3B850%3B400
Interview . (2014, April 15). YouTube. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dicahjTejb4&feature=youtu.be
Thank You, Rachel Jeantel. (n.d.). The Nation. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
http://www.thenation.com/blog/175009/thank-you-rachel-jeantel
THE SKINNY. (2014, January 1). THE SKINNY RSS. Retrieved April 26, 2014, from
http://edublogs.misd.net/theskinny
Troutman, D. (n.d.). Intro to Politeness. Angel Learning. Retrieved April 24, 2014, from
https://angel.msu.edu/section/default.asp?id=SS14-WRA-150-027-97CVHH-EL-04-054