Implications of Impoliteness Strategies on Interpersonal Relations: An Analysis of The Dirty Picture

Abstract

Impoliteness is an action or a linguistic expression contrary to politeness. It is a general impression that all the societies have devised certain norms of politeness to keep the conflict in conversation at bay and thereby keep the interactants in a good humour. Nevertheless, interactants sometimes either fail to observe politeness in interaction or intend to violate the said norms of politeness which results in impoliteness. The present paper makes an attempt to understand impoliteness from a linguist’s perspective and draw a line between politeness and impoliteness. It uses impoliteness framework proposed by Culpeper (1996) to understand the implications of impoliteness on interpersonal relation through the analysis of select exchanges taken from the film, The Dirty Picture. The analysis reveals that the interactants are sensitive to impoliteness and the frequent use of impoliteness strategies (accidental or deliberate) in interpersonal discourse causes conflict in relations. It is often used as a tool or strategy to exercise power, dominance, superiority or threat over the hearer, subject to the speaker’s intention, position, gender, goal and context, which play a vital role in the choice of impoliteness strategies, perception of meaning in day-to-day exchanges and in causing disharmony in relation between the parties at the negotiations of useful business