Face, Communication and Social Interaction - Francesca Bargiela-Chiappini
6. Two sides of the same coin: how the notion of ‘face’ is encoded in Persian communication
Face, Communication and Social Interaction - Francesca Bargiela-Chiappini
Sofia A. Koutlaki
University of Wales
Description
This chapter makes brief reference to Goffman’s and to Brown and Levinson’s ideas by way of locating the present work within previous theories. It then provides an account of the Persian concept of face and an analysis of folk terms and expressions. A brief exposition of the three Persian politeness principles through analysis of conversational extracts demonstrates how Persian ‘face’ is constituted in interaction and how considerations for both aspects and both interlocutors come into play in Persian communication and behaviour. In conclusion, it looks at the implications of this research for Goffman’s views and Brown and Levinson’s theory.