The Pragmatics Of Conventionalized Impoliteness

Politeness needs not to be the only guiding principle for social communication and the everyday phenomenon of conflict talk can be always linked to impoliteness, which is largely ignored and conceptually biased. With continuous efforts by various scholars both at home and abroad, the imbalance has changed a great deal. Far more complex than the polar opposite of politeness, impoliteness can be strategically employed in certain communication, which will result in conflict.From the pragmatic perspective, the present thesis carries out empirical research to explore conventionalized impolite utterances in the high-rated TV dating show If You Are the One on the basis of Bousifeld’s impoliteness theory and Culpeper’s conventionalized impoliteness formulae. The data analysis follows the theoretical frameworks of conversation analysis and activity type. Conversation analysis is concerned with the interactional communication of the participants and the latter can manifest dynamic context in interaction, which will suitably lend itself in the interpretation of impoliteness in TV dating show. This thesis aims to expound, firstly, the impoliteness strategies realized and the corresponding response strategies, and discuss how they are used to trigger or escalate impoliteness; secondly, the pragmatic features and functions of impoliteness in the show; thirdly, power in impoliteness and the interesting linguistic phenomena of over-politeness will also be dealt with.After a comprehensive research, there are some research findings. Firstly, this study has elaborated on on/off-record and impoliteness strategies as well as a new strategy of self-abasement adopted to convey impoliteness and the responses available in the show. Single strategy rarely occurs on its own but often in combined form and the off-record strategies are no less damaging to communication than the on-record ones. Meanwhile, off-off pairing of response is commonly resorted to as a defensive response. Secondly, the pragmatic features of impoliteness, namely, multi-directional, conflictive, destructive to interpersonal relationship and power-oriented, are characteristic of the activity type of TV dating show. Thirdly, in terms of pragmatic functions, entertaining impoliteness in If You Are the One is a gripping element and a source of pleasure to a large audience and contributes to the success of the show. Finally, the present thesis has also explored over-impoliteness, namely the negatively evaluated exceeding of appropriateness, as well as negotiation and construction of power in impoliteness in TV dating show.Since impoliteness in TV dating show has seldom been explored, the audience can find a new perspective from the present study to appreciate and enjoy If You Are the One. It may promote a new lay understanding with the help of theoretical analysis to advance a harmonious date.