Sociopragmatics of Japanese: Theoretical Implications by Obana, Yasuko & Haugh, Michael instant download

Sociopragmatics of Japanese: Theoretical Implications by Obana, Yasuko & Haugh, Michael instant download

Obana and Haugh question the extent to which commonly accepted theories in pragmatics can readily explain sociopragmatic phenomena in Japanese. Studies of Japanese in pragmatics have often challenged the cross-linguistic relevance of dominant theories. However, they have also inadvertently perpetuated stereotypes about the Japanese. It is often been assumed, for instance, that Japanese people are less strategic, more polite and more reliant on tacit forms of communication than speakers of other languages. But the Japanese are not as polite as one might think. The aim of this book is thus to question those folk assumptions around politeness, impoliteness, irony and indirectness, while at the same time emphasizing that close examination of sociopragmatic phenomena in Japanese yields important empirical insights that challenge common theoretical assumptions in pragmatics. The content is structured in three parts, in which the authors highlight a key building block of a theory of sociopragmatics. Part I focuses on indexing through the lens of chapters on honorifics, routine formula and politeness strategies. Part II focuses on evaluating through the lens of chapters on giving/receiving expressions and honorific irony. Finally, Part III focuses on relating through the lens of chapters on joint utterances and off-record requests. Throughout the chapters the authors draw attention to the various ways in which these three dimensions are invariably intertwined.