Miriam Locher: Power and Politeness in Action (2004)

Mon Jan 26 16:31:35 UTC 2004

New Publication from Mouton de Gruyter

>From the series
LANGUAGE, POWER AND SOCIAL PROCESS

Series Editors: Monica Heller and Richard J. Watts

Miriam A. Locher
POWER AND POLITENESS IN ACTION
Disagreements in Oral Communication

2004. xvi, 365 pages. 
Cloth. Euro 94.00 / sFr 150.00 / For USA, Canada, Mexico: US$ 94.00
ISBN 3-11-018006-5
Paperback. Euro 29.95 / sFr 48.00 / For USA, Canada, Mexico: US$ 29.95
ISBN 3-11-018007-3
(Language, Power and Social Process 12)

This study investigates the interface of power and politeness in the realization of disagreements in naturalistic language data. Power and politeness are important phenomena in face-to-face interaction. Disagreement is an arena in which these two key concepts are likely to be observed together: both disagreement and the exercise of power entail a conflict, and, at the same time, conflict will often be softened by the display of politeness (defined as marked relational work). 

The concept of power is of special interest to the field of linguistics in that language is one of the primary means to exercise power. Often correlated with status and regarded as an influential aspect of situated speech, the workings of the exercise of power, however, have rarely been formally articulated. This study provides a theoretical framework within which to analyze the observed instances of disagreement and their co-occurrence with the exercise of power and display of politeness. In this framework, a checklist of propositions that allow us to operationalize the concept of power and identify its exercise in naturalistic linguistic data is combined with a view of language as socially constructed. 

A qualitative approach is used to analyze the concepts of power and politeness. The material for analysis comes from three different contexts: (1) a sociable argument in an informal, supportive and interactive family setting, (2) a business meeting among colleagues within a research institution, and (3) examples from public discourse collected during the US Election 2000. 
Miriam A. Locher is Senior Assistant at the University of Berne, Switzerland. 

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements 

Transcription conventions 

Figures and tables 

Chapter 1 Introduction 

Part I Theory I

Chapter 2 Power 
1. Introduction 
2. Food for thought: an example to start with 
3. Dahl's one-dimensional approach to power: Power in observable change of behavior only
4. Bachrach and Baratz's two-dimensional approach to power:
Conflict and non-decisions 
5. Lukes' three-dimensional approach to power: The notion of interest 
6. Watts: Freedom of action and the exercise of power
7. The relational and dynamic dimension of power 
8. Wartenberg: Action-alternatives and action-restriction 
9. Power and social networks: The place where power is negotiated 
10. Power and status 
11. Power and language
12. Summary: A checklist for the nature and the exercise of power
13. Example 6 revisited 

Chapter 3  Communication and relational work 
1. Introduction 
2. The notion of context and frame
3. Transactional and interactional discourse; the content and relational aspects of an utterance 
4. Face 
5. Face-threatening acts in example 6
6. Summary 

Chapter 4  Politeness 
1. Introduction
2. Overview of politeness research 
2.1 Politeness expressed in maxims: Leech's Politeness Principle
2.2. Brown and Levinson's "face-saving" politeness theory 
2.3. Politeness as norm 
2.4. Politeness as marked surplus 
2.5. The pro-social/involvement aspect of politeness 
2.6. Summary 
3. Towards a definition of politeness
3.1. Relevance Theory 
3.2. Markedness and norms 
3.3. Markedness, formality and friendliness 
3.4. A definition of politeness 

Part II 	Theory II

Chapter 5  Disagreement 
1. Why disagreement? 
2. Possibilities for the realization of disagreement, exemplified with The Argument 
2.1. Preliminary comments 
2.2. Material: The Dinner and The Argument 
2.3. Content summary of The Argument 
2.4. How disagreement was expressed during The Argument 
2.4.1. The use of hedges to mitigate disagreement 
2.4.1.1. The use of well 
2.4.1.2. The occurrence of just 
2.4.1.3. The use of uhm and uh 
2.4.1.4. The function of I think 
2.4.1.5. The use of I don't know 
2.4.2. Giving personally or emotionally colored reasons for disagreeing 
2.4.3. The use of the modal auxiliaries 
2.4.4. Shifting responsibility 
2.4.5. Objections in the form of a question 
2.4.6. The use of but 
2.4.7. The function of repetition of an utterance by the next or the same speaker 
2.4.8. Non-mitigating disagreement strategies 
2.4.9. Non-mitigating versus mitigating disagreement strategies A summary
3. Conclusion: Possibilities for the realization of disagreement

Part III  	The interface of power and politeness in disagreements 

Chapter 6  A sociable argument during a dinner among family and friends
1. Introduction 
2. The dynamics of The Argument
2.1. EN 1: The basic question put forward 
2.2. EN 2: The Study: First introduction and refusal 
2.3. EN 3: The Study: Steven's point of view 
2.4. EN 4: The Study: Further explanation 
2.5. EN 5: The Study: Roy reveals his position 
2.6. EN 6: The Study: The college adds value 
2.7. EN 7: The Study: Roy makes concessions
2.8. EN 8: Kate concludes 
3. Three main driving forces: Committing FTAs, the audience, and Roy's behavior 
4. "Two males, kind of fun isn't it?" 
5. Conclusion: The exercise of power during The Argument 

Chapter 7  Managing disagreement during a business meeting at a research institution 
1. Introduction and method 
2. The context of workplace interaction 
3. Material 
3.1. Description of the speech event 
3.2. The physical setting and the participants of The Pre-Schedule Meeting 3.3. A content summary of The Pre-Schedule Meeting 
4. The interactants' participation and identity negotiation in the seven emergent networks of The Pre-Schedule Meeting 
4.1. The Hall Leaders 
4.1.1. Karl 
4.1.2. Bill 
4.1.3. Ron
4.2. The Associate Director(s) 
4.2.1. Lance 
4.2.2. Jack 
4.3. The Chair 
4.4. Less influential participants 
4.4.1. Rees 
4.4.2. Chad 
5. Conclusion 

Chapter 8  Examples of the exercise of power during the US Presidential Election 2000 	
1. Introduction and method 
2. Getting the people out to vote: President Clinton in an interview with Democracy Now!'s Amy Goodman and Gonzalo Aburto on Election Day 
3. An example from the Presidential Debates 
4. Election Day and after 
5. Conclusion 

Chapter 9 Summary and conclusion 

Notes 

References 

Appendices 
1. Additional tables for the family data 
2. Brown and Levinson's charts of strategies (1987)
2.1. Positive politeness (Brown and Levinson 1987: 102) 
2.2. Negative politeness (Brown and Levinson 1987: 131)
2.3. Off record politeness (Brown and Levinson 1987: 214)

Index 

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