@article{ART001837238},
author={Yoon Jae-Hak},
title={Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery},
journal={Cross-Cultural Studies},
issn={1598-0685},
year={2013},
volume={33},
pages={331-358},
doi={10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331}
TY - JOUR
AU - Yoon Jae-Hak
TI - Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery
JO - Cross-Cultural Studies
PY - 2013
VL - 33
IS - null
PB - Center for Cross Culture Studies
SP - 331
EP - 358
SN - 1598-0685
AB - This paper looks into several aspects of linguistic behaviors attested in Korean and American English corpora. A special attention is paid to the areas of politeness phenomena, terms of address, power and solidarity, practice of flattery, and closely-related non-linguistic behaviors such as tipping and gift-giving conventions.
An analysis of the data reveals that Korean society remains very much superior-oriented, non-egalitarian, non-democratic despite the pride and sense of accomplishment among the populace that the nation has achieved a satisfactory level of democracy.
In particular, the following facts in Korean and the Korean society are exposed by an examination of the data:• There is a notional gap of positive politeness • Superiors enjoy an unfair advantage in the power and solidarity system • The terms of address system is set up to make a clear distinction between levels and the terms of address, in turn, dictate norms of expected behavior • The notion and practice of flattery heavily favors superiors • Non-linguistic acts of gift-giving and tipping are consistent with the examined social interactions As a result, all the benefits, emotional as well as material, are garnered by superiors. These facts may reflect the real Korea that people are used to being comfortable with, a pre-modern, feudalistic society, something akin to its kin in the north. We may proclaim that we aspire to a more democratic society.
However, it appears Koreans, deep inside, may have been seeking a powerful dictator all along. These findings help provide a partial but insightful clue to the political puzzle:why Koreans grew uncomfortable with an egalitarian and democratic president and could not save him, but instead replaced him with a succession of a corrupted businessman and the authoritarian daughter of a former dictator. The flight to democracy has stalled in midair, not quite making the grade yet. There is plenty of linguistic evidence in Korean.
KW - politeness phenomena;power and solidarity;terms of address;flattery;tipping practice
DO - 10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
ER -
Yoon Jae-Hak. (2013). Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery. Cross-Cultural Studies, 33, 331-358.
Yoon Jae-Hak. 2013, "Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery", Cross-Cultural Studies, vol.33, pp.331-358. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
Yoon Jae-Hak "Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery" Cross-Cultural Studies 33 pp.331-358 (2013) : 331.
Yoon Jae-Hak. Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery. 2013; 33 331-358. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
Yoon Jae-Hak. "Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery" Cross-Cultural Studies 33(2013) : 331-358.doi: 10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
Yoon Jae-Hak. Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery. Cross-Cultural Studies, 33, 331-358. doi: 10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
Yoon Jae-Hak. Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery. Cross-Cultural Studies. 2013; 33 331-358. doi: 10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
Yoon Jae-Hak. Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery. 2013; 33 331-358. Available from: doi:10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
Yoon Jae-Hak. "Cultural Differences in Politeness and Notion of Flattery" Cross-Cultural Studies 33(2013) : 331-358.doi: 10.21049/ccs.2013.33..331
