1887
  1. Home
  2. e-Journals
  3. Spanish in Context
  4. Volume 14, Issue 1
  5. Article
Volume 14, Issue 1
  • ISSN 1571-0718
  • E-ISSN: 1571-0726
USD
Buy:$35.00 + Taxes

    Greeting and leave-taking in Texas

    Perception of politeness norms by Mexican-Americans across sociolinguistic divides

  • Author(s): Jeff Michno 1
  • View Affiliations Hide Affiliations
    Affiliations:
    1 The University of Texas at Austin
  • Source: Spanish in Context, Volume 14, Issue 1, Jan 2017, p. 1 - 27
  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
    • Received : 05 Aug 2014
    • Accepted : 20 Oct 2015
    • Version of Record published : 10 Apr 2017

Abstract

The present study reveals how 16 Mexican-Americans residing in Texas perceive and follow politeness norms (e.g. Brown and Levinson 1987 ; Locher and Watts 2005 ; Scollon and Scollon 2001 ) related to greetings and leave-takings in different cultural and linguistic contexts. Data from online questionnaires identify a significant difference in perceived level of social expectation (i.e. politeness) for employing the speech acts with Spanish- versus non-Spanish speakers. The data support previous research in identifying a sense of solidarity among Mexican-American extended families, but also suggest that this bond extends to other Spanish-speaking acquaintances. Better understanding of these norms should facilitate inter-cultural exchanges between linguistic in- and out-group members.

© John Benjamins Publishing Company
Loading

Article metrics loading...

/content/journals/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
2017-04-10
2019-11-12

  • From This Site

    /content/journals/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
    dcterms_title,dcterms_subject,pub_keyword
    10
    5
Loading full text...

Full text loading...

References

  1. Anderson-Mejías, Pamela L.
    2005 “Generation and Spanish Language Use in the Lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas.” Southwest Journal of Linguistics24 (1–2): 1–12.
     [Google Scholar]
  2. Austin, John L.
    1962 How to Do Things with Words. Mass: Harvard University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  3. Beaudrie, Sara M. , and Marta Fairclough
    2012 Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States: The State of the Field. Washington: Georgetown University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  4. Blum-Kulka, Shoshana
    1987 “Indirectness and Politeness in Requests: Same or Different?” Journal of Pragmatics11: 131–146. doi: 10.1016/0378‑2166(87)90192‑5
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(87)90192-5 [Google Scholar]
  5. Brown, Penelope , and Stephen C. Levinson
    1987 Politeness: Some Universals in Language Usage. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  6. Castillo, Linda G. , Collie W. Conoley , and Daniel F. Brossart
    2004 “Acculturation, White Marginalization, and Family Support as Predictors of Perceived Distress in Mexican American Female College Students.” Journal of Counseling Psychology51 (2): 151–157. doi: 10.1037/0022‑0167.51.2.151
     https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.51.2.151 [Google Scholar]
  7. Clark, Herbert H. , and J. Wade French
    1981 “Telephone Goodbyes.” Language in Society10 (1): 1–19. doi: 10.1017/S0047404500008393
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500008393 [Google Scholar]
  8. Cohen, Andrew D.
    2004 “Assessing Speech Acts in a Second Language” InStudying Speaking to Inform Second Language Learning, ed. by Diana Boxer , and Andrew D. Cohen , 302–327. Clevedon, UK: Multilingual Matters.
     [Google Scholar]
  9. Coppock, Liz
    2005 Politeness Strategies in Conversation Closings. Stanford University: Unpublished manuscript. Retrieved fromwww.eecoppock.info/face.pdf.
     [Google Scholar]
  10. Dimitrova-Galaczi, Evelina
    2005 “Issues in the Definition and Conceptualization of Politeness.” Teachers College, Columbia University Working Papers in TESOL & Applied Linguistics2 (1): 1–20.
     [Google Scholar]
  11. Duranti, Alessandro
    1997 “Universal and Culture-Specific Properties of Greetings.” Journal of Linguistic Anthropology7 (1): 63–97. doi: 10.1525/jlin.1997.7.1.63
     https://doi.org/10.1525/jlin.1997.7.1.63 [Google Scholar]
  12. Eelen, Gino
    2001 A Critique of Politeness Theories. Manchester: St. Jerome Publishing.
     [Google Scholar]
  13. Félix-Brasdefer, J. César
    2006 “Linguistic Politeness in Mexico: Refusal Strategies among Male Speakers of Mexican Spanish.” Journal of Pragmatics38 (12): 2158–2187. doi: 10.1016/j.pragma.2006.05.004
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2006.05.004 [Google Scholar]
  14. 2008 Politeness in Mexico and the United States: A contrastive Study of the Realization and Perception of Refusals (Vol.171). Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins Publishing. doi: 10.1075/pbns.171
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.171 [Google Scholar]
  15. Firth, Raymond
    1972 “Verbal and Bodily Rituals of Greeting and Parting.” InThe Interpretation of Ritual, ed. by Jean S. La Fontaine , 1–38. London: Tavistock.
     [Google Scholar]
  16. García, MaryEllen
    1981 “Preparing to Leave: Interaction at a Mexican-American Family Gathering.” InLatino Language and Communicative Behavior, ed. by Richard P. Durán , 195–215. Norwood, N.J.: Ablex.
     [Google Scholar]
  17. 2006 “Contemporary Spanish Sociolinguistics: Stop the Insanity!” HIOL: Hispanic Issues On Line1: 127–132.
     [Google Scholar]
  18. Goffman, Erving
    1967 Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face to Face Behavior. Garden City, New York: Doubleday.
     [Google Scholar]
  19. 1971 Relations in Public. New York: Harper.
     [Google Scholar]
  20. Gumperz, John J.
    1978 “The Conversational Analysis of Interethnic Communication.” InInterethnic Communication. Southern Anthropological Society Proceedings (12), ed. by E. L. Ross , 13–31. Athens, Greece: University of Georgia Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  21. Hazuda, Helen P. , Michael P. Stern , and Steven M. Haffner
    1988 “Acculturation and Assimilation among Mexican Americans: Scales and Population-based Data. Social Science Quarterly69 (3): 687–706.
     [Google Scholar]
  22. Hickey, Leo
    1991 “Comparatively Polite People in Spain and Britain.” Journal of the Association of Contemporary Iberian Studies4 (2): 2–7.
     [Google Scholar]
  23. Ide, Risako
    2009 “Aisatsu.” InCulture and Language Use, ed. by Gunter Senft , Jan-Ola Östman , and Jef Verschueren , 18–28. Philadelphia, PA: John Benjamins Publishing Company. doi: 10.1075/hoph.2.02ide
     https://doi.org/10.1075/hoph.2.02ide [Google Scholar]
  24. Keefe, Susan E. , Amado M. Padilla , and Manuel L. Carlos
    1979 “The Mexican American Extended Family as an Emotional Support System.” Human Organ38 (2): 144–152. doi: 10.17730/humo.38.2.575482483n134553
     https://doi.org/10.17730/humo.38.2.575482483n134553 [Google Scholar]
  25. Laver, John
    1981 “Linguistic Routines and Politeness in Greeting and Parting.” InConversational Routine, ed. by Florian Coulmas , 289–304. The Hague: Mouton.
     [Google Scholar]
  26. Li Wei
    2009 “Different Communication Rules between the English and Chinese Greetings.” Asian Culture and History1 (2): 72–74.
     [Google Scholar]
  27. 2010 “The Functions and Use of Greetings.” Canadian Social Science6 (4): 56–62.
     [Google Scholar]
  28. Locher, Miriam A. , and Richard J. Watts
    2005 “Politeness Theory and Relational Work.” Journal of Politeness Research1 (1): 9–33. doi: 10.1515/jplr.2005.1.1.9
     https://doi.org/10.1515/jplr.2005.1.1.9 [Google Scholar]
  29. Marín, Gerardo. S. , and Raymond. J. Gamba
    2003 “Acculturation and Changes in Cultural Values.” InAcculturation: Advances in Theory, Measurement and Applied Research, ed. by Kevin M. Chun , Pamela B. Organista , and Gerardo Marín , 83–93. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. doi: 10.1037/10472‑007
     https://doi.org/10.1037/10472-007 [Google Scholar]
  30. Márquez Reiter, Rosina
    2002 “A Contrastive Study of Conventional Indirectness in Spanish: Evidence from Peninsular and Uruguayan Spanish.” Pragmatics12 (2): 135–151. doi: 10.1075/prag.12.2.02mar
     https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.12.2.02mar [Google Scholar]
  31. Márquez Reiter, Rosina , and Mary E. Placencia
    2004 “Displaying Closeness and Respectful Distance in Montevidean and Quiteño Service Encounters.” InCurrent Trends in the Pragmatics of Spanish, ed. by R. Marquez-Reiter , and Mary E. Placencia , 121–155. Amsterdam: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/pbns.123.13mar
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.123.13mar [Google Scholar]
  32. Matsumoto, Yoshiko
    1988 “Reexamination of the Universality of Face: Politeness Phenomena in Japanese.” Journal of Pragmatics12 (4): 403–426. doi: 10.1016/0378‑2166(88)90003‑3
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(88)90003-3 [Google Scholar]
  33. Meier, Ardith J.
    1995 “Defining Politeness: Universality in Appropriateness.” Language Sciences17 (4): 345–356. doi: 10.1016/0388‑0001(95)00019‑4
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0388-0001(95)00019-4 [Google Scholar]
  34. Nwoye. Onuigbo G.
    1989 “Linguistic Politeness in Igbo.” Multilingua8: 259–275. doi: 10.1515/mult.1989.8.2‑3.259
     https://doi.org/10.1515/mult.1989.8.2-3.259 [Google Scholar]
  35. Nwoye, Onuigbo G.
    1992 “Linguistic Politeness and Sociocultural Variation of the Notion of Face.” Journal of Pragmatics18 (4): 309–328. doi: 10.1016/0378‑2166(92)90092‑P
     https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-2166(92)90092-P [Google Scholar]
  36. Paniagua, Freddy A.
    2014 Assessing and Treating Culturally Diverse Clients (4th edn.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage. doi: 10.4135/9781506335728
     https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506335728 [Google Scholar]
  37. Pew Hispanic Center
    Pew Hispanic Center 2009 Between Two Worlds: How Young Latinos Come of Age in America. Washington, DC: Author. Retrieved frompewhispanic.org/files/reports/117.pdf
     [Google Scholar]
  38. Pinto, Derrin
    2008 “Passing Greetings and Interactional Style: A Cross-Cultural Study of American English and Peninsular Spanish.” Multilingua – Journal of Cross-Cultural and Interlanguage Communication27 (4): 371–388. doi: 10.1515/MULTI.2008.017
     https://doi.org/10.1515/MULTI.2008.017 [Google Scholar]
  39. 2011 “Are Americans Insincere? Interactional Style and Politeness in Everyday America.” Journal of Politeness Research. Language, Behaviour, Culture. 7(2): 215–238.
     [Google Scholar]
  40. Pinto, Derrin , and Richard Raschio
    2007 “A Comparative Study of Requests in Heritage Speaker Spanish, L1 Spanish, and L1 English.” International Journal of Bilingualism11 (2): 135–155. doi: 10.1177/13670069070110020101
     https://doi.org/10.1177/13670069070110020101 [Google Scholar]
  41. 2008 ‘‘Oye, ¿qué onda con mi dinero? An Analysis of Heritage Speaker Complaints.’’ Sociolinguistic Studies2 (2): 221–49. doi: 10.1558/sols.v2i2.221
     https://doi.org/10.1558/sols.v2i2.221 [Google Scholar]
  42. Placencia, María E.
    1997 “Opening Up Closings – the Ecuadorian Way.” Text-Interdisciplinary Journal for the Study of Discourse17 (1): 53–82. doi: 10.1515/text.1.1997.17.1.53
     https://doi.org/10.1515/text.1.1997.17.1.53 [Google Scholar]
  43. 2008a “Insistence among Family and Friends in Quiteño Spanish: From Connectedness to Empowerment?” Birkbeck Studies in Applied Linguistics3: 88–113.
     [Google Scholar]
  44. 2008b “(Non)Compliance with Directives among Family and Friends: Responding to Social Pressure and Individual Wants.” Intercultural Pragmatics5 (3): 315–344. doi: 10.1515/IPRG.2008.015
     https://doi.org/10.1515/IPRG.2008.015 [Google Scholar]
  45. 2008c “Requests in Corner Shop Transactions in Ecuadorian Andean and Coastal Spanish.” InVariational Pragmatics: A Focus on Regional Varieties in Pluricentric Languages (Pragmatics and Beyond New Series 178), ed. by Klaus P. Schneider , and Anne Barron , 307–332. Amsterdam, The Netherlands: John Benjamins. doi: 10.1075/pbns.178.14pla
     https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.178.14pla [Google Scholar]
  46. 2011 “Regional Pragmatic Variation.” InPragmatics of Society, ed. by Gisle Andersen , and Karin Aijmer , 79–114. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter Mouton. doi: 10.1515/9783110214420.79
     https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110214420.79 [Google Scholar]
  47. Sabogal, Fabio , Gerardo Marín , Regina Otero-Sabogal , Barbara Vanoss Marín , and Eliseo J. Perez-Stable
    1987 “Hispanic Familism and Acculturation: What Changes and What Doesn’t?” Hispanic Journal of Behavioral Sciences9 (4): 397–412. doi: 10.1177/07399863870094003
     https://doi.org/10.1177/07399863870094003 [Google Scholar]
  48. Schegloff, Emanuel A. , and Harvey Sacks
    1973 “Opening up Closings.” Semiotica8 (4): 290–327. doi: 10.1515/semi.1973.8.4.289
     https://doi.org/10.1515/semi.1973.8.4.289 [Google Scholar]
  49. Schneider, Klaus P.
    2012 “Appropriate Behaviour Across Varieties of English.” Journal of Pragmatics44 (9): 1022–1037. doi: 10.1016/j.pragma.2011.09.015
     https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pragma.2011.09.015 [Google Scholar]
  50. Scollon, Ron , and Suzanne Scollon
    2001 Intercultural Communication (2nd edn.). Malden, MA: Blackwell.
     [Google Scholar]
  51. Searle, John R.
    1969 Speech Acts: An Essay in the Philosophy of Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9781139173438
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9781139173438 [Google Scholar]
  52. 1976 “A Classification of Illocutionary Acts.” Language in Society5 (1): 1–23. doi: 10.1017/S0047404500006837
     https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404500006837 [Google Scholar]
  53. Searle, John R. , and Daniel Vanderveken
    1985 Foundations of Illocutionary Logic. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  54. Sifianou, Maria
    1992 Politeness Phenomena in England and Greece. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
     [Google Scholar]
  55. Thomas, David R.
    1994 “Understanding Cross-cultural Communication.” South Pacific Journal of Psychology7: 2–8.
     [Google Scholar]
  56. Valdés, Guadalupe
    2001 “Heritage Language Students: Profiles and Possibilities.” InHeritage Languages in America: Preserving a National Resource, ed. by Joy K. Peyton , Donald Ranard , and Scott McGinnis , 37–77. McHenry, IL: Delta Systems and Center for Applied Linguistics.
     [Google Scholar]
  57. Watts, Richard J.
    2003 Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/CBO9780511615184
     https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511615184 [Google Scholar]
http://instance.metastore.ingenta.com/content/journals/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
Loading
Greeting and leave-taking in Texas
Spanish in Context 14, 1 (2017); https://doi.org/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
/content/journals/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
/content/journals/10.1075/sic.14.1.01mic
Loading

Data & Media loading...

  • Article Type: Research Article
Keyword(s): bilingualism , greetings and leave-takings and politeness

Most Cited This Month

This is a required field
Please enter a valid email address
Approval was successful
Invalid data
An Error Occurred
Approval was partially successful, following selected items could not be processed due to error