Politeness as normative, evaluative and discriminatory: the case of verbal hygiene discourses on correct honorifics use in South Korea

Lucien Brown

doi:10.1515/pr-2019-0008

Article

Politeness as normative, evaluative and discriminatory: the case of verbal hygiene discourses on correct honorifics use in South Korea

Lucien Brown
Lucien Brown is Senior Lecturer of Korean Studies at Monash University. His research focusses on multimodal politeness in first and second language contexts. His book Korean Honorifics and Politeness in Second Language Learning is published by John Benjamins and his articles appear in journals such as Journal of Pragmatics, Journal of Politeness Research, and Discourse, Context and Media.

Published/Copyright: May 3, 2021

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From the journal Journal of Politeness Research Volume 18 Issue 1

Abstract

This paper uses the concept of “verbal hygiene” (Cameron, Deborah. 1995. Verbal hygiene. Abingdon, UK: Routledge) to analyze metadiscourses in South Korea regarding a recent innovation in the use of subject honorific markers in the service industry. This innovation, commonly referred to as samwul contay ‘inanimate object respect’ involves using honorifics when the grammatical subject of the sentence is an inanimate object, typically the products or services being offered to the customer. Critical discourse analysis was conducted of materials produced by language authorities and mainstream media, as well as layperson-produced blogs and reader comments. The analysis shows that the materials mobilized discourses of ungrammaticality and immorality to delegitimize samwul contay, and stigmatize the sales personnel who used it. By applying the concept of “verbal hygiene” to politeness-related metadiscourses, the current paper advances the perspective that politeness is occasioned through the recursive evaluation of linguistic behavior. Rather than being idiosyncratic, these evaluations appeal to established language norms and moral orders. The way that verbal hygiene discourses promote the language usage of the powerful while stigmatizing the powerless demonstrates that politeness relies inherently on socio-historically imbedded discriminatory practices of placing value on the language usage of certain groups, while delegitimizing that of others.

Keywords: honorifics; metapragmatics; moral order; moral panic; verbal hygiene

Corresponding author: Lucien Brown, Monash University, Clayton, VIC 3800, Australia, E-mail: lucien.brown@monash.edu

Funding source: Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea

Funding source: Academy of Korean Studies

Award Identifier / Grant number: AKS-2016-LAB-2250003

About the author

Lucien Brown

Lucien Brown is Senior Lecturer of Korean Studies at Monash University. His research focusses on multimodal politeness in first and second language contexts. His book Korean Honorifics and Politeness in Second Language Learning is published by John Benjamins and his articles appear in journals such as Journal of Pragmatics, Journal of Politeness Research, and Discourse, Context and Media.

Acknowledgment

I am thankful to Adam Zulawnik for his assistance and In-Sook Park for the illustration.

Research funding: This research was supported by the Laboratory Program for Korean Studies through the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and Korean Studies Promotion Service of the Academy of Korean Studies (AKS-2016-LAB-2250003).

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Received: 2019-03-15

Accepted: 2019-12-13

Published Online: 2021-05-03

Published in Print: 2022-02-23

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Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/pr-2019-0008

Keywords for this article

honorifics; metapragmatics; moral order; moral panic; verbal hygiene