Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness

This handbook comprehensively examines social interaction by providing a critical overview of the field of linguistic politeness and impoliteness. Authored by over forty leading scholars, it offers a diverse and multidisciplinary approach to a vast array of themes that are vital to the study of interpersonal communication. The chapters explore the use of (im)politeness in specific contexts as well as wider developments, and variations across cultures and contexts in understandings of key concepts (such as power, emotion, identity and ideology). Within each chapter, the authors select a topic and offer a critical commentary on the key linguistic concepts associated with it, supporting their assertions with case studies that enable the reader to consider the practicalities of (im)politeness studies. This volume will be of interest to students and scholars of linguistics, particularly those concerned with pragmatics, sociolinguistics and interpersonal communication. Its multidisciplinary nature means that it is also relevant to researchers across the social sciences and humanities, particularly those working in sociology, psychology and history.

“This handbook … is a significant and valuable contribution to interpersonal communication research. It will be of particular interest to students and researchers who are engaged in the fields of politeness, pragmatics, and interpersonal communication.” (Huiyu Zhang and Danqi Zhang, Pragmatics and Society, Vol. 12 (1), 2021)

Jonathan Culpeper is Professor of English Language and Linguistics in the Department of Linguistics and English Language at Lancaster University, UK. His major publications, spanning pragmatics and the English Language, include Impoliteness: Using Language to Cause Offence (2011). He was co-editor-in-chief of the Journal of Pragmatics.Michael Haugh is Professor of Linguistics in the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Queensland, Australia. He is currently Co Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Pragmatics, and recent books include Im/Politeness Implicatures (2015) and Understanding Politeness (2013, with Dániel Z. Kádar).Dániel Z. Kádár is Professor of English Language and Linguistics and Director of the Centre for Intercultural Politeness Research at the University of Huddersfield, UK. His major publications include Politeness, Impoliteness, and Ritual – Maintaining the Moral Order in Interpersonal Interaction (2011), Understanding Politeness (with M. Haugh, 2013), and Relational Rituals and Communication (2013).