A2 Coursework Ideas

A2 Course Work Ideas

Idea One:

Chat shows

-          Jonathan Ross with Lindsay Lohan

Russell Brand, Miley Cyrus, Kanye, Amy Winehouse (suggestions for 'big' personalities both male and female)

Big/extroverted personalities

Do big personalities exert more power regardless of status?

http://theadventurouswriter.com/blog/extrovert-at-work-personality-traits-of-extroverted-people/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75KluX-1Wps            (21.30-23.30 , could look at body language etc)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Dqa_K6blg          

 (Amy Winehouse exerts power through facial expressions/sarcasm leading the interviewer to back down and change what they are saying).

Language and Gender /  Language and Power

Idea Two:

Comparing Television Shows

The Office UK in comparison to The Office U.S.

US:
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=the-office-us&episode=s01e01

UK:
http://www.springfieldspringfield.co.uk/view_episode_scripts.php?tv-show=the-office-uk&episode=s01e01

http://www.bbcamerica.com/mind-the-gap/2013/12/03/10-common-british-expressions-baffle-americans/

Brown and Levinson's Face Theory

Brown and Levinson Face Theory

Politeness is described as a social norm, a set of prescriptive 'social rules'. We are polite in order to protect our 'face' as, as humans we want to be liked by others. Brown and Levinson developed the 'Face Theory' which explains about this in detail. It mentions that we have both a 'Positive Face' and a 'Negative Face'.

Positive Face: The desire to be appreciated and liked

Negative Face: The desire to have freedom and not be imposed upon

Our 'Face' is basically the way we present ourselves to others and how we want to be seen.

There is also something called a 'Face Threatening Act (FTA)'. A Face Threatening Act is where someone deliberately does something to threaten someones either positive or negative face, and therefore challenges their face and how they portray themselves.

Politeness could be described as:

Showing good manners toward others, as in behavior, speech, etc.;courteous; civil:

And can often be achieved by:

- being contextually appropriate

- following social and cultural norms

- being socially positive by addressing face needs

However, when someone threatens your 'face' you can react in a number of ways and stratagies, these are called 'politeness superstrategies' and vary depending on contextual factors...

Bold on record - not attempting to minimise the face threat

Positive politeness - showing you value someone so minimising the threat to the positive face

Negative politeness - not impeding on someone, minimising the threat to the negative face

Off record - avoiding responsibility for the FTA often by being indirect

Withhold - not performing the FTA

Politeness superstrategies are determined by contextual factors: 

-Power relations between speaker and listener

-Social distance between speaker and listener

-How great the threat of the FTA is

Grices Maxims

Grices Maxims

Maxim of Quantity:

The maxim of quantity is where you only give the information that is needed and that relates to the question/topic. 

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of quantity):

Person 1: Do you know the time?

Person 2: It's five o clock here, in America its two o clock.

This extra information is unnecessary and excessive.

Maxim of Quality:

The maxim of quality is where you give reliable and truthful information that can be supported by evidence.

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of quality):

Person 1:Do you know the time?

Person 2: Yes it's five o clock.

- It is really three o clock and therefore the information is false.

Maxim of Relation:

 

The maxim of relation is where your conversation and contribution to a discussion is relevant and relates to the situation or topic.

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of relation):

Person 1: Do you know the time?

Person 2: It's Tuesday today.

This is a bad example as Person Two provides information that is irrelevant and unwanted in the conversation.

Maxim of Manner:

The maxim of manner is where you avoid ambiguity and speak briefly and orderly.

For example (this is an incorrect example of a maxim of manner):

'The professor came in and the student left'. • Indicates that student left after (or, as a result of) the professor coming but is unclear.

language and power powepoint