Intergroup rudeness and the metapragmatics of its negotiation in online discussion fora

This study investigates the communicative practices in English and German online discussion fora as exemplified by two thematically related sample threads. Combining first- and second-order approaches to (im-)politeness, the paper focuses on the question of how participants use intergroup rudeness a...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Kleinke, Sonja (Author) , Bös, Birte (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 2015
In: Pragmatics
Year: 2015, Volume: 25, Issue: 1, Pages: 47-71
ISSN:2406-4238
DOI:10.1075/prag.25.1.03kle
Online Access:Verlag, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.25.1.03kle
Verlag, Volltext: https://www.jbe-platform.com/content/journals/10.1075/prag.25.1.03kle
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Author Notes:Sonja Kleinke and Birte Bös
Description
Summary:This study investigates the communicative practices in English and German online discussion fora as exemplified by two thematically related sample threads. Combining first- and second-order approaches to (im-)politeness, the paper focuses on the question of how participants use intergroup rudeness as a means of in- and outgroup construction and examines how intergroup rudeness is metapragmatically negotiated as the discussions unfold. The results show that intergroup rudeness as well as metapragmatic comments are handled very differently in the two communities explored. Suggesting cultural preferences, there is a much higher degree of interactivity and a clear preference for negotiation at an interpersonal level in the German discussion group; its English counterpart favours negotiation at an intergroup level. Both threads provide metapragmatic evidence that the frequent use of rudeness tokens does not automatically make rudeness an accepted norm.
Item Description:Gesehen am 02.09.2019
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:2406-4238
DOI:10.1075/prag.25.1.03kle