READING OF GENDER THROUGH WORDS: POLITENESS STRATEGIES AMONG UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Abstract

Linguistic politeness is a strategic and cultural tool crucial for effective communication and successful management of social relationships. It shows awareness of speaker’s and others' self-image to ensure smooth communication and reduce conflict. This qualitative study employs Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory as the theoretical framework. A Discourse Completion Task (DCT) consisting of ten different scenarios associated with academics, industry, institutions and the public sphere is employed through Google Forms. The sample of this study consists ten participants (five female and five male). All the participants in the study are university students at under-graduation level. The politeness strategies are classified according to the theoretical framework; however, some of the strategies as aggression, complaint, avoidance, empathy, warning and negotiation are unique in the data. The analysis of the data show that both genders adapt their linguistic behaviour to social status, power and the intensity of the situation. However, females demonstrate more empathic and relational behaviour; whereas men are mostly concerned with problem solving approach in certain scenarios. It is up to people how they react to certain situations in relation to their peers. Gender, although, is one among numerous factors that influence individuals’ linguistic behaviour; yet it is not the only factor that affects their behaviour. Status, power, intensity of the situation also have critical role. This research contributed to sociolinguistics, gender studies, anthropology in Pakistani setting.