
Politeness
Richard J. Watts(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 25. September 2003
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-0-521-79085-7 (ISBN)
Description
During the fifteen years prior to the first publication of this book, existing models of linguistic politeness generated a huge amount of empirical research. Using a wide range of data from real-life speech situations, this introduction to politeness breaks away from the limitations of those models and argues that the proper object of study in politeness theory must be commonsense notions of what politeness and impoliteness are. From this, Watts argues, a more appropriate model, one based on Bourdieu's concept of social practice, is developed. The book aims to show that the terms 'polite' and 'impolite' can only be properly examined as they are contested discursively. In doing so, 'polite' and 'impolite' utterances inevitably involve their users in a struggle for power. A radically new account of linguistic politeness, the book will appeal to students and researchers in a wide range of disciplines, in linguistics and the social sciences.
Reviews / Votes
'I can think of no-one in the field better qualified to write a critical introduction to linguistic politeness research than Professor Watts. He has a lively critical awareness of the shortcomings of the standard approach, an excellent overview of the presently available alternative approaches, and a willingness to work within standard theory to make the politeness research paradigm more responsive to the needs and interests of researchers around the world. There is no doubt in my mind that a critical introduction to linguistic politeness will be met with enthusiasm by the world's politeness researchers. This book is predestined to become the first standard introduction to the field.' Professor Richard W. Janney, Instituet fuer Englische Philologie, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universitaet, Muenchen 'The book as a whole is very clear and well-structured and provides both an overview and critique of existing politeness theories, but perhaps of more importance, he shows that there is nothing inherently polite about particular utterances, it is simply that some utterances may be more open to interpretation as polite than others ...'. Multilingua 'This excellent volume in a new series called Key Topics on Sociolinguistics is the first textbook on this subject ... This clearly written book will stretch its readers, leaving them with the sense that the field is more fertile and interesting than they may have imagined at the start ... An unusually rich and stimulating textbook ...'. The Times Higher Education Supplement '... this book is a unique book length work, offering an excellent review of the literature on politeness theories and adopting a discourse analytic approach to data. As such, it will be most beneficial to both first-time travelers to the world of politeness, as well as to others with a desire to advance their knowledge within the area.' Journal of SociolinguisticsMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
2 Line drawings, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 218 mm
Width: 147 mm
Thickness: 23 mm
Weight
540 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-79085-7 (9780521790857)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Richard J. Watts
Politeness
E-Book
12/2004
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€44.49
Available for download
Person
Content
1. Introducing linguistic politeness; 2. Politeness through time and across cultures; 3. Modelling linguistic politeness I; 4. Modelling linguistic politeness II: Brown and Levinson and their critics; 5. Facework and linguistic politeness; 6. A social model of politeness; 7. Structures of linguistic politeness; 8. Relevance Theory and concepts of power; 9. Politic behaviour and politeness in discourse; 10. Politic behaviour and politeness within a theory of social practice; Glossary of terms; Bibliography.