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Subject:politeness study From:Ronald Lee Stone <ston0030 -at- GOLD -dot- TC -dot- UMN -dot- EDU> Date:Thu, 22 Sep 1994 23:00:17 -0500
Some time ago I announced a politeness study of
some TECHWR-L discussions from last year.
Here are the results:
Title: Patterns of Politeness in
Computer-Mediated Communication (CMC)
Abstract: A discourse analysis of computer-mediated
communication (CMC) revealed the use of strategies
outlined by the Brown and Levinson politeness model.
The CMC situation warranted further development of
certain assumptions formulated for politeness in
spoken and written discourse. The analysis supports
the modification of these assumptions, and the model
identifies politeness patterns in CMC. Politeness was
determined to be an important socio-rhetorical
language-use need. The use of various politeness
patterns were found to be significant in creating
the socio-rhetorical stature of participants among
the list community. In addition, the significance of
the use of politeness strategies was found to correspond
to its relation to an exigency. Literature on CMC,
persona, speech act theory, politeness, and rhetorical
exigence were reviewed in preparation for examining
the role of the speech acts of insulting and
complimenting in a computer-mediated discussion.
Until later,
Ron
Ronald L. Stone : ston0030 -at- gold -dot- tc -dot- umn -dot- edu : (612) 644-9706
graduate student : Scientific & Technical Communication
Department of Rhetoric : University of Minnesota, St. Paul
