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A Study Of Pragmatic Empathy As A Strategy In Chinese Verbal Communication

Posted on:2008-11-24Degree:MasterType:Thesis
Country:ChinaCandidate:L ZhouFull Text:PDF
GTID:2155360242969319Subject:Foreign Linguistics and Applied Linguistics
Abstract/Summary:PDF Full Text Request
Empathy is a concept which originates from German aesthetics in the late 19th century, and in the early 20th century it was adopted by the American experimental psychology. Still later it was introduced into sociology and linguistics in general. Many researches on Empathy have been conducted in areas ranging from pragmatics and foreign language teaching to intercultural communication and so on. In Pragmatics, empathy has been probed in both Pragmalinguistics and Socio-pragmatics, while little attention is paid to the strategic use of empathy in verbal communication. This research is a qualitative study. Based on the Linguistic Adaptation Theory proposed by Jef Verschueren (1999) and Asymmetrical Information by James Mirleees and William Vickery (1960s and 1970s respectively), this study treats empathy as a communicative strategy in Chinese verbal communication with the support of data collected in daily conversation, TV plays, and literature works as well. Furthermore, the data set includes both mundane conversation and institutional talk. In analysis of institutional talk, CA has been integrated into the present study as well. Based on these observations, we can summarize that the addressor's intentions in communication are benefiting himself/herself, or both parties involved in communication. Thus, no matter from which aspect, the adoption of PE is benefiting the addressor. Then his/her choice of pragmatic empathy strategy is self-benefit oriented. Self, as a concept in social psychology, is divided into physical self, social self and spiritual self (Chen, 2005). Then we can understand the adaptation to the physical world, the social world and the mental world as the presentations of physical self, social self and spiritual self. In this way, the adaptation to the physical world, the social world and the mental world can be considered as adaptation to self, which is a self-adaptation. That is to say, the adoption of PE is a realization of the addressor's self-adaptation, thus formulating the conceptual framework for the present study. The data collected for this study are analyzed systematically, and the addressor's pragmatic motivations are discussed as well. The pragmatic functions of Pragmatic Empathy fall into general communicative functions and special communicative functions. The adoption of PE can shorten the distance of the addressor and the addressee and establish the harmonious communicative atmosphere. Meanwhile, much attention has been paid to the special communicative functions that PE can produce, which include ending a conversation, resolving a contradiction, relieving the strained relationship, protecting the addressee's face, functioning as amusing packages and catering for the consuming psychology. Moreover, social implications of PE are also discussed. In the author's opinion, pragmatic empathy can help better the interrelationship among people, improving the working efficiency of certain social institutions and establishing a harmonious society in a broader sense. In a word, the present research is of both theoretical and practical significance.
Keywords/Search Tags:Pragmatic Empathy, Communicative strategy, the Addressor, Functionality, Self-adaptation
PDF Full Text Request
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