| This dissertation provides a contrastive analysis of English and Chinese greetings. It not only explores their common properties in language interaction, but also analyzes their differences in actual use. Through careful observation and a series of studies, the polite and social factors that constrain the use of greetings are confirmed. The dissertation suggests that while the principles governing politeness are universal, their realization is language specific. Based upon the analysis of some practical problems in the use of greetings in intercultural communication, the need for further cross-cultural studies in speech behaviors concerned with politeness is emphasized.Greetings are indispensable components of everyday conversational interaction. When people greet, the first consideration is politeness. Are there any differences in the emphasis on politeness maxims when people from different cultures communicate with each other since intercultural communication has much to do with correct choice of the maxims and strategies? For example, the tendency to directness or indirectness to achieve communicative goals is a difference in communicative strategy between English speaking countries and East Asian countries. According to Brown and Levinson (1987), politeness in language has both principle and difference. The principle requires that interlocutors try to be polite in social interaction. On the other hand, different cultures have different criterion of politeness. Therefore, to find out differences in the choice of politeness maxims and overcome obstacles in cross-cultural communication, this dissertation makes a research on greetings of English and Chinese in the light of Leech's Politeness Principle (1983) and Gu Yueguo's (1992) Politeness Maxims. Politeness in greetings is also constrained by social factors. Wolfson's (1986, 1987) major contribution in this field is about how social factors like interpersonal relationship affect speech behaviors. In combination with ethnographic studies Wolfson finds out the Bulge Theory in speech behavior. Wolfson explains the characteristics of the Bulge Theory with regard to the speech behaviors of apologies, requests, refusals, disapprovals, compliments and gratitude. As for the influence of social distance on the speech behavior of greetings, Wolfson only makes a brief summary of the other researchers'findings. However, all these studies are based on the Western cultures. Thus, by means of an experimental approach this dissertation examines whether Wolfson's the Bulge Theory can be applied to the speech behavior of greetings and whether the Theory is universal in both Eastern and Western cultures. The differences in the application of the Bulge Theory between English and Chinese greetings are also explored.Consequently, this dissertation aims to:(1) discuss polite and social factors constraining the use of greetings in terms of Leech's Politeness Principle, Gu Yueguo's Politeness Maxims and Wolfson's the Bulge Theory and investigate differences in pragmatics and culture between English and Chinese politeness.(2) compare English and Chinese greeting expressions and find out differences in their use between the two languages.The first section of this dissertation reviews the criteria, the conversational structure, the functions, especially the polite and social factors of greetings. |
