Copy of 02 Politeness Theory Positive & Negative Face Needs

Politeness Theory Overview

• Core Concepts

  • Positive and Negative Face Needs

  • Face Threatening Acts (FTAs)

  • The impact of language on social interactions

Politeness Theory

• Developed by Penelope Brown and Stephen Levinson in 1978

• Explores how language influences social relationships and politeness

• Focus on balancing face needs in communication

Understanding Face Needs

• Positive Face Needs:

  • The desire to be liked, respected, and included in social groups

  • Associated with praise, flattery, informality (using nicknames)

  • Reinforced through showing interest and responding positively

• Negative Face Needs:

  • The preference for autonomy and independence

  • Associated with respect for privacy and personal space

  • Affirmed by indirectness, apologies for impositions, and formal language

Face Threatening Acts (FTAs)

• Actions that can threaten the self-image of a person

• Can be mitigated through various politeness strategies:

  • Positive Politeness:

    • Strategies that enhance the positive face of the interlocutor, e.g., compliments

  • Negative Politeness:

    • Strategies that avoid imposition, e.g., hedging or using formalities

Communication Strategies

• On Record: Direct communication that does not minimize the threat

• Off Record: Indirect communication that aims to reduce the impact of FTAs

• Redressive Actions: Efforts to lessen the face-threatening impacts of actions

Social Relationships and Politeness

• Politeness strategies vary based on the relationship between interlocutors:

  • Closer relationships require less formality and politeness

  • Distant relationships require more politeness strategies to minimize threats

Relative Power in Communication

• The power dynamic between speakers affects levels of politeness

  • More powerful speakers can use less politeness without as much risk of offense

• Cultural attitudes towards power dynamics can complicate politeness

Practical Applications

• Engaging in activities to understand how to apply politeness strategies in requests

• Recognizing positive and negative face needs through real-life interactions

Concepts of Weight of the Threat

• More significant requests require more politeness to mitigate the threat to face

• Examples of requests ranked by threat level (lower to higher):

  • Borrowing $5 --> Asking to stay for the weekend --> Asking to borrow $500

  • Cultural nuances may affect perceptions of requests across different groups

Norms: Overt vs. Covert

• Overt Norms:

  • Linguistic behaviors that conform to widely recognized standards (e.g., formal language)

• Covert Norms:

  • Informal practices within smaller or non-mainstream groups (e.g., slang, dialect)

Cultural Considerations

• Understanding how cultural contexts shape perceptions of politeness and face needs

• Different communities possess varying expectations regarding FTAs and politeness behavior