John Benjamins Publishing Company
Why ‘we’?
Abstract
The paper addresses changes in relational functions of ‘we’ in contemporary Polish and in the underlying models of culturally dominant ‘we’-group concepts. After some orientation to the ethnogrammar and ethnopragmatics of ‘we’ (Polish my), it focuses on a pragmatic analysis of a ‘we’ example taken from a semi-institutional context. Ultimately, it locates the discussion in a wider context of social and discursive change observable in contemporary Polish society. It demonstrates that the historical bifurcation of style into a T-based model of solidarity and a V-based model of deference is being eroded, and that cultural and communicative values are redefined along new priorities and demands. Emergent ‘we’-group concepts press for new patterns of address and mode of participant interaction.
Abstract
The paper addresses changes in relational functions of ‘we’ in contemporary Polish and in the underlying models of culturally dominant ‘we’-group concepts. After some orientation to the ethnogrammar and ethnopragmatics of ‘we’ (Polish my), it focuses on a pragmatic analysis of a ‘we’ example taken from a semi-institutional context. Ultimately, it locates the discussion in a wider context of social and discursive change observable in contemporary Polish society. It demonstrates that the historical bifurcation of style into a T-based model of solidarity and a V-based model of deference is being eroded, and that cultural and communicative values are redefined along new priorities and demands. Emergent ‘we’-group concepts press for new patterns of address and mode of participant interaction.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Preface ix
- Constructing collectivity with ‘we’ 1
-
Part I. Semantic and pragmatic perspectives on ‘we’
- Referentiality, predicate patterns, and functions of we -utterances in American English interactions 23
- Singular perception, multiple perspectives through ‘we’ 45
- Referential and functional aspects of the Norwegian first person plural vi 65
- Grammar, interaction, and context 83
- The pragmatics of first person non-singular pronouns in Norf’k 105
-
Part II. Interactional perspectives on ‘we’
- ‘We’ as social categorization in Cha’palaa, a language of Ecuador 135
- Replying with the freestanding ‘we’ in Greek conversations 159
- Establishing social groups in Hebrew 187
- Why ‘we’? 207
- Children’s use of English we in a primary school in Wales 227
-
Part III. Genre-specific perspectives on ‘we’
- “Nail polish – We’ve chosen the nicest shades for you!” 247
- Author positioning and audience addressivity by means of ‘we’ in Greek academic discourse 265
- Bulgarian ‘we’ and audience involvement in academic writing 287
- On the use of ‘we’ in Flemish World War II interviews 309
- “Judge us on what we do” 331
- Author index 351
- Subject index 353
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
- Acknowledgements vii
- Preface ix
- Constructing collectivity with ‘we’ 1
-
Part I. Semantic and pragmatic perspectives on ‘we’
- Referentiality, predicate patterns, and functions of we -utterances in American English interactions 23
- Singular perception, multiple perspectives through ‘we’ 45
- Referential and functional aspects of the Norwegian first person plural vi 65
- Grammar, interaction, and context 83
- The pragmatics of first person non-singular pronouns in Norf’k 105
-
Part II. Interactional perspectives on ‘we’
- ‘We’ as social categorization in Cha’palaa, a language of Ecuador 135
- Replying with the freestanding ‘we’ in Greek conversations 159
- Establishing social groups in Hebrew 187
- Why ‘we’? 207
- Children’s use of English we in a primary school in Wales 227
-
Part III. Genre-specific perspectives on ‘we’
- “Nail polish – We’ve chosen the nicest shades for you!” 247
- Author positioning and audience addressivity by means of ‘we’ in Greek academic discourse 265
- Bulgarian ‘we’ and audience involvement in academic writing 287
- On the use of ‘we’ in Flemish World War II interviews 309
- “Judge us on what we do” 331
- Author index 351
- Subject index 353
