The Emic And Etic Dimensions Of Politeness: Evidence From Refusals In Chinese And English

More and more people have realized the need to carry out research on politeness. This is because we do not and cannot possibly live in isolation; rather, as "biological, psychological, and cultural/social beings" (Pyysiainen, 2002: 167), we need to interact constantly with other people, and politeness is one of the things we should bear in mind to ensure smooth and successful interaction. On the other hand, advances in science and technology have gradually eliminated the distance of time and space and greatly contributed to easier and more frequent human interaction, putting the study of politeness on a high agenda. To ignore politeness studies entails running the risk of miscommunication, friction and conflict, among other things. In other words, where there is communication, there are politeness studies.One of the basic challenges for research in politeness theory is the issue of universality. The issue of universality versus culture-specificity in speech act studies is still hotly debated. One view holds that speech acts are semantic universals and hence not culture-bound, that across languages and cultures, there are general norms for realizing speech acts and conducting politeness behavior, and that while the forms embodying these norms may vary from one language to another, the cross-cultural differences are not that important. The opposite view, however, objects to this universalistic stand and...