Beyond Binaries in Address Research

Beyond binaries in address research: Politeness and identity practices in interaction shifts the focus of address studies away from the traditional T/V opposition and toward a more flexible, contextually situated framework. The volume brings together linguistic phenomena that do not fit neatly within the formal/informal duality. The chapters explore several languages, including European Portuguese, Spanish varieties, Caribbean Dutch, Swedish, German, Bosnian, Hungar-ian, and Syrian Arabic. The analytical approaches are equally diverse, challenging binary dis-tinctions through quantitative methods such as survey response analysis, attitudinal experi-ments using the Matched Guise Test, data clustering, and qualitative analyses of interaction and metadiscourse. The ten chapters are accompanied by an introduction that situates the discussion within the broader critique of binary approaches to address over time.

This book will interest scholars engaged in address research, broadly defined to include socio-linguistics, language variation and change, pragmatics, politeness studies, comparative linguis-tics, and intercultural communication.