Chapter 1. Pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Mexico
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J. César Félix-Brasdefer
Abstract
This chapter examines pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Southern Mexico. Following previous research in service encounters (Aston 1988a; Kerbrat-Orecchioni & Traverso 2008; Merritt 1976; Placencia 2008), this study examined 244 food-related transactions (122 male-customers and 122 female customers) that were analyzed according to three levels of analysis: actional (customer-initiated requests), interactional (openings and closings, and request sequences), and stylistic (choice of address forms). The data were examined in light of speech accommodation theory, polite (or expected) behaviour, and pragmalinguistic variation. The study addresses methodological and ethical issues in pragmatics research for the analysis and collection of natural interactional data in commercial settings.
Abstract
This chapter examines pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Southern Mexico. Following previous research in service encounters (Aston 1988a; Kerbrat-Orecchioni & Traverso 2008; Merritt 1976; Placencia 2008), this study examined 244 food-related transactions (122 male-customers and 122 female customers) that were analyzed according to three levels of analysis: actional (customer-initiated requests), interactional (openings and closings, and request sequences), and stylistic (choice of address forms). The data were examined in light of speech accommodation theory, polite (or expected) behaviour, and pragmalinguistic variation. The study addresses methodological and ethical issues in pragmatics research for the analysis and collection of natural interactional data in commercial settings.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Mexico 17
- Chapter 2. Cross-cultural stances in online discussions 49
- Chapter 3. Pragmatic variation in therapeutic discourse 81
- Chapter 4. Disagreement and sociolinguistic variables 113
- Chapter 5. Variation in the pragmatic use of conventional expressions 141
- Chapter 6. Variation in NS-learner interactions 175
- Pragmatic variation in learner perception 209
- Chapter 8. Variationist sociolinguistics, L2 sociopragmatic competence, and corpus analysis of classroom-based synchronous computer-mediated discourse 239
- Research methods for describing variation in intercultural pragmatics for cultures in contact and conflict 271
- Chapter 10. Between pragmatics and sociolinguistics 295
- Chapter 11. Conclusions 319
- Index 337
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Notes on contributors ix
- Introduction 1
- Chapter 1. Pragmatic variation by gender in market service encounters in Mexico 17
- Chapter 2. Cross-cultural stances in online discussions 49
- Chapter 3. Pragmatic variation in therapeutic discourse 81
- Chapter 4. Disagreement and sociolinguistic variables 113
- Chapter 5. Variation in the pragmatic use of conventional expressions 141
- Chapter 6. Variation in NS-learner interactions 175
- Pragmatic variation in learner perception 209
- Chapter 8. Variationist sociolinguistics, L2 sociopragmatic competence, and corpus analysis of classroom-based synchronous computer-mediated discourse 239
- Research methods for describing variation in intercultural pragmatics for cultures in contact and conflict 271
- Chapter 10. Between pragmatics and sociolinguistics 295
- Chapter 11. Conclusions 319
- Index 337
