face-and-politeness

“Face”inChinese“Face”firstcameoutinChinaanditconsistsoftwopartsintheChineseculture:lianandmian.“Lian”istheconfidenceofsocietyinaperson'smoralcharacter,while“mian”representssocialperceptionsofaperson'sprestige.ForapersontomaintainfaceisimportantwithChinesesocialrelationsbecausefacetranslatesintopowerandinfluenceandaffectsgoodwill.Alossof“lian”wouldresultinalossoftrustwithinasocialnetwork,whilealossof“mian”wouldlikelyresultinalossofauthority.“Face”inEnglishTheconceptoffacewasfirstintroducedtothewesterncountriesbytheChineseanthropologistHuXianjin.TheEnglishsemanticfieldforfacewordsmeaningprestige;honorissmallerthanthecorrespondingChinesefield.TheOxfordEnglishDictionary(2nded.,1989)documentshowtheEnglishcommunityinChinaoriginatedlosefaceandsavefaceinthelate19thcentury,andhowmorphologicalvariantslikeface-saversubsequentlydeveloped.LossoffaceoccursinTheTimes(August3,1929):Eachwishestoconcedeonlywhatcanbeconcededwithoutlossof'face'.Brown&Levinson’sFace-savingTheoryPenelopeBrownandStephenC.LevinsonexpandedGoffman'stheoryoffaceintheirpolitenesstheory.Theydidsystemicresearchon”face”andputforwardtheface-savingTheory.Face:thepublicself-imageofapersonFacewants:aperson’sexpectationsthathispublicself-imagewillberespected.PositiveFace:theneedtobeindependent,tohavefreedomofaction,andnottobeimposedonbyothers.Negativeface:theneedtobeaccepted,evenliked,byothers,tobetreatedasamemberofthesamegroupandtoknowthathisorherwantsaresharedbyothers.Brown&Levinson’sFace-savingTheoryFTA(Facethreateningact):ifapersonsayssomethingthatrepresentsathreattoanotherindividual’spublicself-image,itisdescribedasfacethreateningact.FSA(Facesavingact):ifsomeactionsmightbeinterpretedasathreattoanother’sface,thespeakercansaysomethingtolessenthepossiblethreat.ThisiscalledfacesavingactPolitenessFaceandpolitenessarecloselyconnectedwitheachother.Inaninteraction,politenesscanbedefinedasthemeansemployedtoshowawarenessofanotherperson’sface.Differentstrategiescanbeusedtoaccomplishpolitenessinsituationsofsocialdistanceandcloseness.PolitenessStrategiesPolitenessstrategiesareusedtoformulatemessagesinordertosavethehearer’sfacewhenface-threateningactsareinevitableordesired.BrownandLevinsonoutlinefourmaintypesofpolitenessstrategies:1.baldon-record2.off-record3.negativepoliteness4.positivepolitenessBaldon-recordBaldon-recordstrategiesusuallydonotattempttominimizethethreattothehearer’sface,althoughtherearewaysthatbaldon-recordpolitenesscanbeusedintryingtominimizeface-threateningactsimplicitly.Oftenusingsuchastrategywillshockorembarrasstheaddressee,andsothisstrategyismostoftenutilizedinsituationswherethespeakerhasacloserelationshipwiththeaudience,suchasfamilyorclosefriends.Baldon-recordBrownandLevinsonoutlinevariouscasesinwhichonemightusethebaldon-recordstrategy,including:1.Instancesinwhichthreatminimizingdoesnotoccur:•GreaturgencyordesperationWatchout!•SpeakingasifgreatefficiencyisnecessaryHearmeout:...•Littleornodesiretomaintainsomeone'sfaceDon'tforgettocleantheroom!2.Instancesinwhichthethreatisminimizedimplicitly•WelcomeComein.•OfferLeaveit,I'llcleanuplater.Off-recordThisstrategyusesindirectlanguageandremovesthespeakerfromthepotentialtobeimposing.Forexample,aspeakerusingtheindirectstrategymightmerelysay“wow,it’sgettingcoldinhere”insinuatingthatitwouldbeniceifthelistenerwouldgetupandclosethedoorwithoutdirectlyaskingthelistenertodoso.PositivePolitenessPositivepolitenessstrategiesseektominimizethethreattothehearer’spositiveface.Theyareusedtomakethehearerfeelgoodabouthimself,hisinterestsorpossessions,andaremostusuallyusedinsituationswheretheaudienceknowseachotherfairlywell.Inadditiontohedgingandattemptstoavoidconflict,somestrategiesofpositivepolitenessincludestatementsoffriendship,solidarity,compliments.PositivePoliteness1.AttendtoH’sinterests,needs,wantsYoulooksad.CanIdoanything?2.Usesolidarityin-groupidentitymarkersHeh,mate,canyoulendmeadollar?3.BeoptimisticI’lljustcomealong,ifyoudon’tmind.4.OfferorpromiseIfyouwashthedishes,I’llvacuumthefloor.5.ExaggerateinterestinHandhisinterestsThat’sanicehaircutyougot,wheredidyougetit?6.AvoidDisagreementYes,it’sratherlong,notshortcertainly.NegativepolitenessNegativepolitenessstrategiesareorientedtowardsthehearer’snegativefaceandemphasizeavoidanceofimpositiononthehearer.Thesestrategiespresumethatthespeakerwillbeimposingonthelistenerandthereisahigherpotentialforawkwardnessorembarrassmentthaninbaldonrecordstrategiesandpositivepolitenessstrategies.Negativefaceisthedesiretoremainautonomoussothespeakerismoreapttoincludeanoutforthelistener,throughdistancingstyleslikeapologies.Negativepoliteness1.BeindirectWouldyouknowwhereOxfordStreetis?2.UsehedgesorquestionsPerhaps,hemighthavetakenit,maybe.Couldyoupleasepasstherice?3.BepessimisticYoucouldn’tfindyourwaytolendingmeathousanddollars,couldyou?4.MinimizetheimpositionIt’snottoomuchoutofyourway,justacoupleofblocks.5.ApologizeI’msorry;it’salottoask,butcanyoulendmeathousanddollars?6.UsepluralpronounsWeregrettoinformyou.PayoffsassociatedwitheachstrategyBaldonrecordSgetscreditforhonesty