Impoliteness in online interaction: the pragmatic “how” and “why”
The course focuses on Internet communication (i.e. computer-mediated communication, henceforth CMC) and the phenomenon of “destructively impolite utterances in online interactions” (Kienpointer 2019: 329). One of the theoretical perspectives on online aggression is offered by impoliteness/ (im)politeness theories. The study of linguistic impoliteness in the context of electronic communication reaches beyond the mere expression of hostility to tackle issues such as social identities, gender, culture, distribution of power, etc. The course also makes an attempt at providing a taxonomy of hostile behaviour in CMC. One further focus of the proseminar falls on the innovative use of language for pragmatic purposes in impolite utterances.
The course is designed to equip students in the area of humanities with some theoretical background on which basis it is possible to make sense of the consequences that the technologising of communication has brought into everyday interaction. The questions to be addressed include: Has interaction always been like this or has the technology destroyed the ethical standards? How does the era of fake news, pandemic and lockdowns affect communication?
- Teacher: Matylda Włodarczyk