Impoliteness Of The Daily Communication In The Chinese Context

This thesis investigates the perception of impoliteness in the Chinese culture. First, it will explore the Gordian knot:the notion of impoliteness, taking account of non-verbal factors and the aspects of ethics and morals in the attempt to defining impoliteness, and then the analytical frameworks the thesis employ are Culpeper’s impoliteness model and Spencer-Oatey’s rapport management, the latter of which is reinterpreted. TV series data sets are used in the thesis and the strategies as the "illocutionary act" and the face or rights threatening as the "perlocutionary effect" are concerned. This process of data analysis is effective to test whether the impoliteness model and the rapport management are applicable in the Chinese culture or not and the addendums into the existing impoliteness model of Culpeper and rapport management are put forward. As for the division of East and West on the topic of impoliteness, the thesis stands firmly on the idea that there exist differences and similarities on the topic of impoliteness between East and West, but there is no division between them.