For this episode, we delve into three areas; banter, impoliteness and power. All separate yet inextricably linked. All things that are common in the workplace. My guest this episode is Dr Derek Bousfield (https://www2.mmu.ac.uk/languages/staff/profile/index.php?id=111) and he goes by @DrWordyBoy on Twitter.
We discuss what ‘banter’ is, how it is defined, why it is a healthy thing and is something that can cause division and friction in the workplace. Derek’s descriptive definition for Banter is ‘Insincere Impoliteness’ and we go on to define ‘Imploiteness’ as well as ‘Politeness’ and ‘Power’. One of the examples we discuss how to banter can be veiled as Impoliteness and how Politeness markers or actions can also be Impoliteness. All of this is down to… *drum roll* context.
As part of our discussion, we link back to aspects from other podcasts where we talk about face and facework (episodes 12 and 24), conversation management (episode 10) and in/out groups (episode 7).
Your references for this one:
Barthesian myth (around 16 minutes)
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mythologies_(book)
Labeling (around 23 minutes) NB this is not exactly what Derek mentions but it gives you an idea where he is going with his thinking
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labeling_theory
Terms of address and titles (around 39 minutes)
https://www.thoughtco.com/term-of-address-1692533
Banter and mock Impoliteness (by Derek and Michael Haugh)
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Haugh2/publication/257198791_Mock_impoliteness_jocular_mockery_and_jocular_abuse_in_Australian_and_British_English/links/5b0d4772a6fdcc8c2537e291/Mock-impoliteness-jocular-mockery-and-jocular-abuse-in-Australian-and-British-English.pdf
Power (around 54 minutes) this is a fab book that explores the dynamism of power
Jonathan Culpepper 2011 Impolitentess work (around 1 hour 9 minutes)
http://www.cambridge.org/gb/academic/subjects/languages-linguistics/sociolinguistics/impoliteness-using-language-cause-offence?format=PB
Derek Bousfield 2008 Monograph on Impoliteness (around 1 hour 9 minutes)
Clare Hardaker on Trolling (around 1 hour 10 minutes) these are examples of her non-academic work
https://www.theguardian.com/profile/claire-hardaker
Lynn Truss ‘Talk to the Hand’ (around 1 hour 11 minutes)
Journal of Politeness Volume 14 Issue 2 (around 1 hour 12 minutes)
https://www.degruyter.com/view/j/pr.2018.14.issue-2/issue-files/pr.2018.14.issue-2.xml
Thanks for listening!!
If you would prefer to read the podcast click here: Transcription – Episode 29 – Emotion at Work in Banter Impoliteness and Power