(Im) politeness as object, (im) politeness as perspective

Abstract: The first-second order distinction has dominated theoretical discussions about (im) politeness for the past two decades. However, while there has been a lot of emphasis placed on different perspectives on (im) politeness in the field, what constitutes our object of understanding (s) arguably remains somewhat more elusive. In this paper, I suggest that one of the reasons for this is that we have inadvertently conflated (im) politeness-as-perspective (an epistemological issue) with (im) politeness-as-object (an ontological issue), and have largely ignored the latter in ongoing debates about the first-second order distinction. Building on observations about mundane interactions between co-participants who behave in ways we might not typically associate with politeness, I first propose that (im) politeness-as-object encompasses a complex, multi-layered set of first, second and third order evaluations that are reflexively interrelated but nevertheless ontologically distinct. I then suggest that the inherent complexity of (im) politeness-as-object calls for a more nuanced account of (im) politeness-as-perspective in which researchers necessarily draw on different first-order (commonsense, emic, user, folk theoretic) and second-order (academic, etic, observer, scientific theoretic) understandings to varying degrees. I conclude that the multidimensional, prismatic model of (im) politeness that emerges reflects the complex and multifaceted nature of (im) politeness itself.

Object Details

• Location: Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
• Extent: Online-Ressource
• Language: Englisch

References and Relationships

• Bibliographic citation: (Im) politeness as object, (im) politeness as perspective ; volume:20 ; number:1 ; year:2024 ; pages:201-226 ; extent:26 ; Journal of politeness research ; 20, Heft 1 (2024), 201-226 (gesamt 26)

Contributors, Places and Time

• Creator: Haugh, Michael

Further information

• DOI: 10.1515/pr-2023-0082
• URN: urn:nbn:de:101:1-2024020913095491037066
• Rights: Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
• Last update: 15.08.2025, 7:27 AM CEST