Politeness and Gender in a Saudi TV Show

Abstract

Gender is considered a vital factor that contributes in affecting the use and interpretation of politeness strategies by interlocutors (Mills, 2003) which is affirmed by various studies. The objective of the present study is to investigate the use of politeness strategies among male and female interlocutors (a male interviews male and female interviewees) in a Saudi TV show to examine differences in case there are any. The present study is primarily based on the theoretical framework proposed by Brown and Levinson (1987). Such framework gives rise to a systematic network of politeness strategies, presupposing that speech acts are generally linked to the abstract cultural notion of “face”. Two questions are addressed as; firstly, Does the male interviewer use the same politeness strategies with both male and female interviewees? Secondly, what are the politeness strategies used by male and by female interviewees in their interaction with the male interviewer? Are they the same or different? The results show that the female interviewer on one hand, uses negative politeness most of the time. The male interviewer, on the other hand, was neutral with the female interviewee. Moreover, the male interviewee uses only positive politeness strategies in his interaction with the interviewer. Similarly, politeness strategies used by the interviewer are positive. Such strategies that are used between male interlocutors indicate a common ground and convey that both are co-operators.