Reconstructing the Politeness Principle in Chinese: A response to Gu’s approach

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 693-721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ling Zhou ◽  
Shaojie Zhang

Abstract Back in the early 1990s, Gu Yueguo formulated the Politeness Principle and its maxims to explain Chinese politeness phenomena, as a counter reaction to Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory, which claims that politeness is a universal phenomenon in language usage. Despite the fact that Gu’s illustration of politeness phenomena in Chinese has attracted considerable attention from pragmaticians, this paper points out that there are at least three major issues in his study: failure to provide a generalized high-level definition of politeness, improper construction of some of the maxims, and inadequate adoption of Leech’s theoretical framework for analysis of Chinese data. With the increasing call for culture-specific research on im/politeness, it is of great necessity to rethink these issues regarding Chinese politeness phenomena. Therefore, this paper attempts to reconstruct the Politeness Principle in Chinese by reexamining and clarifying Gu’s approach. It argues that politeness can be defined as appropriate behavior in social interaction. Based on this definition, the Politeness Principle and four maxims of Modesty, Respectfulness, Friendliness, and Refinement are coherently reconstructed in a clarified and refined form. The reconstruction demonstrates that polite behavior in Chinese is exhibited in an appropriate or acceptable way in accordance with these maxims as social norms or regularities.

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tae Ho Lee ◽  
Lois A. Boynton

In communication research on transparency, information has been predominantly regarded as an objective and ascertainable construct – for example, evaluated by its amount – resulting in the neglect of highly subjective and intersubjective considerations of situational factors such as crises, organization types, and larger external environments that include laws, regulations, and social norms, in addition to stakeholders’ perspectives. In reviewing the relevant literature, we first find that transparency has developed from an instrumental to an intrinsic value, and then locate the current inquiry into transparency in an area of overlap between the two approaches – implicating objective certainty and subjective value, respectively. Based on this review, we present the significance of integrating the two additional parameters of situational factors and stakeholders’ perspectives by focusing more on normative, rather than instrumental, perspectives. For the purpose of creating a comprehensive theoretical framework of transparency, we propose an operational definition of transparency as a process, as well as a research framework.


1970 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-126
Author(s):  
Марина Орап

У  статті  висвітлено  методологічні  та  практичні  засади  вивчення  онтогенезу  соціального  інтелекту. Складність вивчення даного соціально-психологічного феномену пов’язана із дотичністю його  до багатьох явищ, які описують умови успішності соціальної взаємодії особистості. Проаналізовано наявні  теоретичні   підходи   до   визначення   змісту   та   структури  соціального  інтелекту,   до   взаємозв’язку  останнього  з  іншими  видами  інтелекту.  Визначено,  що  дослідження  соціального  інтелекту  молодших  школярів слід здійснювати на основі розуміння останнього як здатності, що виникає на базі комплексу  інтелектуальних,   особистісних,   комунікативних   і   поведінкових   рис,   що   зумовлюють   прогнозування  розвитку  міжособистісних  ситуацій,  інтерпретацію  інформації  і  поведінки,  готовність  до  соціальної  взаємодії і прийняття рішень. Здійснене пілотажне емпіричне дослідження прогностичних можливостей  дітей  молодшого  шкільного  віку  продемонструвало  наявні  позитивні  кореляційні  зв’язки  між  рівнем  розвитку здатності до передбачення найбільш адекватного сценарію розвитку подій у соціальній ситуації  та рівнем розвитку мовленнєвого досвіду. Найбільш тісний взаємозв’язок виявлено між рівнем розвитку  здатності  передбачати  адекватну  вербальну  відповідь  у  ситуації  комунікації  та  рівнем  розвитку  мовленнєвої компетентності та мовленнєвої діяльності дітей молодшого шкільного віку. Таким чином,  були зроблені попередні висновки про наявність взаємозв’язку між мовленнєвим досвідом та прогностичним  можливостями у складі соціального інтелекту дитини молодшого шкільного віку The  article  outlines  the  methodological  and  practical  principles  of  studying  the  ontogenesis  of  social  intelligence. The complexity of studying this socio-psychological phenomenon is associated with its attractiveness to  many  phenomena  that  describe  the  conditions  for  the  successful  social  interaction.  The  existing  theoretical  approaches to the definition of the content and structure of social intelligence, to the interrelationship of it with  other types of intelligence are analyzed. It is determined that research of social intelligence of junior pupils should  be carried out on the basis of the understanding of this kind of intelligencer as an ability that based on a complex of  intellectual, personal, communicative and behavioral features. This complex predetermines the forecasting of the  development  of  interpersonal  situations,  the  interpretation  of  information  and  behavior,  readiness  for  social  interaction  and  decision-making.  The  research  of  the  prognostic  possibilities  of  primary  school  children  demonstrated the positive correlation between the level of development of the ability to predict the most adequate  scenario of the development of events in the social situation and the level of development of speech experience. The  closest relationship is found between the level of development of the ability to provide an adequate verbal response  in the context of communication and the level of development of speech competence and speech activity of children  of junior school age. Thus, was done a conclusion about the existence of a relationship between speech experience  and prognostic possibilities in the social intellect of a child of junior school age.   


2020 ◽  
Vol 65 (Special Issue) ◽  
pp. 87-103
Author(s):  
Noémi Bíró

"Feminist Interpretations of Action and the Public in Hannah Arendt’s Theory. Arendt’s typology of human activity and her arguments on the precondition of politics allow for a variety in interpretations for contemporary political thought. The feminist reception of Arendt’s work ranges from critical to conciliatory readings that attempt to find the points in which Arendt’s theory might inspire a feminist political project. In this paper I explore the ways in which feminist thought has responded to Arendt’s definition of action, freedom and politics, and whether her theoretical framework can be useful in a feminist rethinking of politics, power and the public realm. Keywords: Hannah Arendt, political action, the Public, the Social, feminism "


Author(s):  
Andrea Renda

This chapter assesses Europe’s efforts in developing a full-fledged strategy on the human and ethical implications of artificial intelligence (AI). The strong focus on ethics in the European Union’s AI strategy should be seen in the context of an overall strategy that aims at protecting citizens and civil society from abuses of digital technology but also as part of a competitiveness-oriented strategy aimed at raising the standards for access to Europe’s wealthy Single Market. In this context, one of the most peculiar steps in the European Union’s strategy was the creation of an independent High-Level Expert Group on AI (AI HLEG), accompanied by the launch of an AI Alliance, which quickly attracted several hundred participants. The AI HLEG, a multistakeholder group including fifty-two experts, was tasked with the definition of Ethics Guidelines as well as with the formulation of “Policy and Investment Recommendations.” With the advice of the AI HLEG, the European Commission put forward ethical guidelines for Trustworthy AI—which are now paving the way for a comprehensive, risk-based policy framework.


Sensors ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 1388
Author(s):  
Daniele Oboe ◽  
Luca Colombo ◽  
Claudio Sbarufatti ◽  
Marco Giglio

The inverse Finite Element Method (iFEM) is receiving more attention for shape sensing due to its independence from the material properties and the external load. However, a proper definition of the model geometry with its boundary conditions is required, together with the acquisition of the structure’s strain field with optimized sensor networks. The iFEM model definition is not trivial in the case of complex structures, in particular, if sensors are not applied on the whole structure allowing just a partial definition of the input strain field. To overcome this issue, this research proposes a simplified iFEM model in which the geometrical complexity is reduced and boundary conditions are tuned with the superimposition of the effects to behave as the real structure. The procedure is assessed for a complex aeronautical structure, where the reference displacement field is first computed in a numerical framework with input strains coming from a direct finite element analysis, confirming the effectiveness of the iFEM based on a simplified geometry. Finally, the model is fed with experimentally acquired strain measurements and the performance of the method is assessed in presence of a high level of uncertainty.


2021 ◽  
Vol 47 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Houda Ajmi ◽  
Wissem Besghaier ◽  
Wafa Kallala ◽  
Abdelhalim Trabelsi ◽  
Saoussan Abroug

Abstract Background Children affected by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) showed various manifestations. Some of them were severe cases presenting with multi-system inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) causing multiple organ dysfunction. Case presentation We report the case of a 12-year-old girl with recent COVID-19 infection who presented with persistent fever, abdominal pain and other symptoms that meet the definition of MIS-C. She had lymphopenia and a high level of inflammatory markers. She was admitted to pediatric intensive care unit since she rapidly developed refractory catecholamine-resistant shock with multiple organ failure. Echocardiography showed a small pericardial effusion with a normal ejection fraction (Ejection Fraction = 60%) and no valvular or coronary lesions. The child showed no signs of improvement even after receiving intravenous immunoglobulin, fresh frozen plasma, high doses of Vasopressors and corticosteroid. His outcome was fatal. Conclusion Pediatric patients affected by the new COVID-19 related syndrome may show severe life-threatening conditions similar to Kawasaki disease shock syndrome. Hypotension in these patients results from heart failure and the decreased cardiac output. We report a new severe clinical feature of SARS-CoV-2 infection in children in whom hypotension was the result of refractory vasoplegia.


2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joschka Briese

AbstractThis article presents a sign- and usage-based model of intentionality following the works of Robert B. Brandom and T. L. Short. The concept of discursive intentionality is established within Brandom’s theory of language explains discursive and practical reasoning as well as attributive and ascriptive practices. Discursive intentionality is distinguished from other intentionalities of conceptual proximity. Because Brandom’s concept of signs is underdetermined in his works, it will be complemented with T. L. Short’s theory of intentional signs. This dual theoretical framework leads to an innovative analysis of verbs which locates discursive intentionality at the semantic/pragmatic interface. After giving a definition of discursive intentionality, it will be diagrammed by breaking it down into different components (relata, relations, and predicates). Finally, it is tested regarding the plausibility of the diagrammatics of discursive intentionality, using the intentional verb “to promise” to differentiate between the ascription of intentionality and intention.


2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 214-238
Author(s):  
Nienke van Andel ◽  
Martin J.M. Hoondert ◽  
Marcel Barnard

Even before they started the editorial board of the new Dutch hymnal was blamed for being too elitist. The fact that they had been selected on the basis of their expertise made them vulnerable for such criticism. Subsequently the position of the editors has been a point of continuous reflection. In this contribution, we will argue that this image of editors as dissociated from users of the hymn book is only one among several available identity repertoires. In order to answer the question which ‘identities-in-relation-to-users’ do the editors construct in the meetings of the board and how do they value these identities?, we will use a broad definition of identity and focus on positions performed in social interaction. The interaction in question concerns seven selected meetings of the editorial board, all of which were audio-taped and transcribed. Looking closely at the identities that were constructed during those meetings, we distinguish six positions, ranging from a great to no distance between editors and users: editors, professionals, experienced, vanguard, pleasers and equals.


2009 ◽  
Vol 27 (24) ◽  
pp. 4014-4020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Goss ◽  
Michael P. Link ◽  
Suanna S. Bruinooge ◽  
Theodore S. Lawrence ◽  
Joel E. Tepper ◽  
...  

Purpose The American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Cancer Research Committee designed a qualitative research project to assess the attitudes of cancer researchers and compliance officials regarding compliance with the US Privacy Rule and to identify potential strategies for eliminating perceived or real barriers to achieving compliance. Methods A team of three interviewers asked 27 individuals (13 investigators and 14 compliance officials) from 13 institutions to describe the anticipated approach of their institutions to Privacy Rule compliance in three hypothetical research studies. Results The interviews revealed that although researchers and compliance officials share the view that patients' cancer diagnoses should enjoy a high level of privacy protection, there are significant tensions between the two groups related to the proper standards for compliance necessary to protect patients. The disagreements are seen most clearly with regard to the appropriate definition of a “future research use” of protected health information in biospecimen and data repositories and the standards for a waiver of authorization for disclosure and use of such data. Conclusion ASCO believes that disagreements related to compliance and the resulting delays in certain projects and abandonment of others might be eased by additional institutional training programs and consultation on Privacy Rule issues during study design. ASCO also proposes the development of best practices documents to guide 1) creation of data repositories, 2) disclosure and use of data from such repositories, and 3) the design of survivorship and genetics studies.


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 33-46
Author(s):  
Antonio C. Cuyler

This article represents a snapshot and analysis of U. S. service arts organizations’ DEI statements and activities in 2018. At that time, many primarily White-serving U. S. cultural organizations responded defensively to accusations of elitism and a harmful rigged funding system that maintained the status quo by awarding most cultural funding to these organizations while undermining the health and vitality of cultural organizations by and for historically oppressed communities (Sidford, 2011). Furthermore, Helicon Collaborative (2017) found that even with a host of cultural equity, “diversity” projects (Tseng 2016), and public-facing DEI statements, little had changed within six years. Therefore, this study uses directed and summative content analysis to investigate the research question “what do cultural equity and diversity statements communicate about cultural organizations’ positions on DEI?” This study also uses Frankfurt’s (2005) essay On Bullshit and Laing’s (2016) two-prong definition of accountability as a theoretical framework to examine if and how cultural organizations hold themselves accountable for achieving DEI in the creative sector. Lastly, readers should keep in mind that the public murder of Geor-ge Floyd in 2020 has hastened all of the service arts organizations’ access, diversity, equity, and inclusion (ADEI) work examined in this study.


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