Half manners, half lying: A review and critique of politeness theory
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Politeness theory suggests that humans, as rational beings, deviate from efficient and logical forms of speaking to avoid conflict and protect face. Accordingly, scholars from across the spectrum of social science have relied on politeness theory as a means of understanding various social processes across cultures. While this attention has led to a more robust understanding of social relationships, it has also resulted in conceptualizations of politeness across disciplines that move away from Brown and Levinson’s (1978; 1987) original construction. Instead of concentrating on the complex series of events that characterize the theory in its entirety, scholars tend to rely on individual theoretical components like face support and face threats. Through a systematic review of the literature, this paper aims to critique various applications of politeness theory from the perspective of a discipline infatuated with its value: communication. First, the paper provides an overview of the propositions that make up politeness theory as a whole. Considering the tendency of social science researchers to selectively apply aspects of the theory to their work, the review then moves toward a critique of the theory’s overall theoretical value. Third, insight into the current state of the theory and its application is offered, paying particular attention to areas of concern in politeness research. Finally, the work provides a wealth of potential future directions for politeness theory, including an increased focus on nonverbal behaviors, practical implications, and individual action.