 |
|
What will we learn in Session B?
In this session we will continue to explore the 'meaning between the
lines', or what the famous 20th century Russian director Stanislawski
called the 'sub-text' of plays. This time we will explore Politeness Theory.
Politeness (and also impoliteness) is something which is often not made
explicit, but, like conversational implicature, can be inferred in conversational
exchanges.
We will discover that politeness in conversation is an important part
of the 'social glue' which binds us together, and that we have two main
ways of being polite to one another:
-
Demonstrating a positive attitude to someone or something
associated with them (e.g. by praising them). This is usually called
positive politeness. E.g. 'That's
a wonderful new coat you've got!', 'I thought your performance was
great.', 'Your cat's really cute.'
-
Helping others to achieve their goals (including making a point
of not getting in the way of what they want to achieve). This
is usually called negative politeness. E.g.
holding a door open to let someone through before you, showing someone
how to use a computer programme they are not familiar with, helping
someone to pick up the things they have just dropped.
Looking at patterns of politeness and impoliteness in dramatic (and novelistic)
conversations can help us to understand the relations between the characters
who are interacting with one another.
|
