Larina T.V. Discursive Approach to Politeness: Expanding the Paradigm

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu2.2025.4.1

Tatiana V. Larina

Doctor of Sciences (Philology), Professor, Department of Foreign Languages, Faculty of Philology, RUDN University, Moscow, Russia

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https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6167-455X

Abstract. Over the past few decades, the study of politeness has emerged as a separate field of interdisciplinary research that focuses on the analysis of language use at the intersection of pragmatics, discourse analysis, sociolinguistics, cognitive linguistics, intercultural communication, and other related fields. Although politeness is considered to be universal in nature, its manifestation depends on cultural context. Regular use of politeness strategies to achieve specific communicative goals forms dominant features of ethno-cultural communication styles which allow us to identify and systematize communicative patterns of different cultural groups, as well as trace the logic behind their communication. The study of politeness is a dynamically developing field which continues to evolve and attract significant interest from scholars. It has undergone several stages, each characterized by different approaches and perspectives. This article aims to briefly characterize the main ones and identify the benefits of a discursive approach to politeness. This approach has significantly expanded the research framework, showing that politeness and impoliteness are not absolute categories, but rather relative and culture-specific. Politeness and impoliteness are not determined by formal features but are instead evaluated by the addressee in a given context. They are related to both social and psychological aspects of communication, and the close relationship between emotions and politeness has led to the concept of "emotive politeness," which focuses on the addressee's feelings and provides emotional support. A discursive approach to politeness contributes to a better understanding of human communication and its variations in different social and cultural settings.

Key words: politeness, impoliteness, discursive approach, formality, informality, emotional communication, emotive communication, emotive politeness.

Citation. Larina T.V. Discursive Approach to Politeness: Expanding the Paradigm. Vestnik Volgogradskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Seriya 2. Yazykoznanie [Science Journal of Volgograd State University. Linguistics], 2025, vol. 24, no. 4, pp. 5-16. (in Russian). DOI: https://doi.org/10.15688/jvolsu2.2025.4.1

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