Unspoken evaluation of impoliteness: The Javanese linguistic interaction example

Unspoken evaluation of impoliteness: The Javanese linguistic interaction example
Norwanto Norwanto | Universitas Islam Negeri Salatiga

This study aims at examining the evaluation of impoliteness not manifested in utterances or actions. The focus is on how speaker-hearers conceal their negative evaluation and the reasons underlying their behavior. The data were collected from a WhatsApp group conversation, from a Focus Group discussion with WhatsApp group members, and through questionnaires. The study approaches the data using relational work and rapport management theories. The study shows that hearers conceal the evaluation of impoliteness by affiliating with the topics evaluated positively instead of negatively evaluated utterances. The behavior can cause contested meanings of unmarked utterances between the hearers and the speakers. Although speakers perceive their utterances as politic or appropriate, the hearers observe them negatively. Furthermore, the Focus Group discussion showed that the WhatsApp Group members conducted the unspoken evaluation of impoliteness to maintain the equanimity of social relationships. The questionnaires indicated that concealing negative evaluation is a recurrent action of native speakers of Javanese.

Keywords: unmarked utterances/actions, relational work, im/politeness, rapport management, Javanese language

Politeness and Camaraderie: How Types of Form Matter in Indonesian Context

 Politeness and Camaraderie: How Types of Form Matter in Indonesian Context

Jumanto

Abstract

This article is about politeness and camaraderie through pragmatic viewpoints within Indonesian context. A language, the writer argues, should be directed to politeness (distant language) and camaraderie (close language), the two varieties of language use in some diglossic speech situation. The writer’s arguments are, among others, that distant language is formal, indirect, and non-literal, and that close language is informal, direct, and literal. Distant language is spoken to hearers with power factor, while close language is spoken to hearers with solidarity factor. Ignorance or incompetence of this may cause impoliteness, i.e. rude situations or awkward situations in interpersonal interactions. This tendency elaborates pragmatic viewpointsfrom Goffman’spositive and negative face [1], Brown and Levinson’s positive and negative politeness strategies[2], Renkema’s solidarity and respect politeness[3],Jumanto’s friendship and politeness[4],[5], and types of hearer elaborated by Brown and Gilman[6]and advocated by Jumanto[5]. Examples in the Indonesian language, based on a simple emic research, are given to support the everyday-use-of-Indonesian-language arguments. 

Keywords: Politeness; camaraderie; impoliteness; distant language; close language; rude situation; awkward situation

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References

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Papers in the Journal of Pragmatics Research Vol 7 no. 1 (2025).

Dear all,

This is the newly published paper in the Journal of Pragmatics Research Vol 7 no. 1 (2025).

Articles
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Social Semiotics "Masako Package”: Systemic Functional Linguistics Perspective
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Linguistic Reflections of Cultural Ethics: Social Assistance Discourse in Surakarta
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Strengthening Spiritual Representation Through Charles Sanders Peirce's Semiotic Analysis In The Song Gala Bunga Matahari
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The Analysis of Emojis and Identities In The Comments Section on Instagram @Ussfeed: From Semiotics to Cyberpragmatics
Muhamad Hilal, Ribut Wahyudi, 132-156

Maharani, F., Firdaus, D., & Sariyati, I. (2025). Turn-Taking Strategies in Happy Sad Confused: Crafting an Interactive and Engaging Talk Show Experience. Journal of Pragmatics Research, 7(1), 157–181. https://ejournal.uinsalatiga.ac.id/index.php/jopr/article/view/3737 

Tren Penelitian Terbaru Kajian Linguistik Pragmatik

 

Teori *impoliteness* oleh Jonathan Culpeper memang merupakan antitesis dari teori *politeness* dan *Cooperative Principle* yang didasarkan pada prinsip Gricean. Namun, relevansi teori ini dalam perkembangan linguistik pragmatik saat ini bergantung pada konteks penggunaannya dan fokus penelitian.

### **Teori Politeness dan Cooperative Principle**

- Teori *politeness* dan *Cooperative Principle* Grice (1975) telah menjadi dasar dalam studi pragmatik komunikasi. Prinsip ini berfokus pada efektivitas komunikasi melalui empat kategori maksim: kualitas, kuantitas, relevansi, dan cara[1][3].

- Teori *politeness* oleh Brown dan Levinson (1987) serta model oleh Leech (1983) memperluas prinsip Grice dengan menambahkan dimensi sosial seperti kesopanan dan strategi komunikasi untuk menghindari pelanggaran sosial[1][3].

- Dalam konteks budaya tertentu, seperti Indonesia, penerapan prinsip Grice sering kali disesuaikan dengan kebutuhan harmoni dan nilai budaya lokal[3].

### **Teori Impoliteness oleh Jonathan Culpeper**

- Culpeper memperkenalkan teori *impoliteness* sebagai cara untuk memahami pelanggaran norma kesopanan dalam komunikasi. Teori ini berfokus pada bagaimana ketidaksopanan digunakan secara strategis untuk mencapai tujuan tertentu, seperti mengekspresikan ketidaksetujuan atau konflik[1].

- Teori ini relevan dalam situasi komunikasi yang tidak kooperatif atau konflik sosial, di mana pelanggaran norma kesopanan menjadi alat komunikasi yang efektif.

### **Relevansi dan Perkembangan**

71 LIST OF RESEARCH ON IMPOLITENESS IN CYBERPRAGMATICS

1. Expression of Emotion As Impoliteness Markers In Instagram Comments Section In Indonesia: A Pragmatic Study , D. Suganda, S. Yuliawati, Nani Darmayanti, 2022. The paper analyzes impoliteness markers in Indonesian Instagram comments using pragmatic theories. It focuses on swear words, examining their form, reference, and impact.

1. Indonesian Netizens’ Impoliteness Toward Government Loudspeaker Policies: A Cyberpragmatic Approach, Tri Santoso, Endang Nurhayati, Margana, Journal of Language Teaching and Research, 2025. The paper analyzes impoliteness in Indonesian netizens' comments on a government policy, using a cyberpragmatic approach and Leech's impoliteness theory. It identifies deviations from maxims of wisdom, politeness, agreement, and sympathy.
2. Politeness and Impoliteness Strategies in Lecturer-Student Communication Within Cyberpragmatic Chats, Faizal Risdianto, M. Machfudz, 2023. The paper perfectly matches the criteria for impoliteness and cyberpragmatics. It analyzes impoliteness principles in online communication and uses a cyberpragmatic approach to study online interactions. It is somewhat relevant to the Indonesian language criterion as it examines communication in both English and Indonesian.
3. Impoliteness Strategy for Cyberbullying in Indonesian on Instagram Social Media, Subyantoro, Suseno, Zuliyanti, 2023. The paper analyzes impoliteness strategies in Indonesian cyberbullying speech on Instagram, identifying positive and negative impoliteness types. While relevant to cyberpragmatics through its discussion of impoliteness, it doesn't explicitly apply specific pragmatic frameworks.
4. HATE SPEECH ON SOCIAL MEDIA: INDONESIAN NETIZENS’ HATE COMMENTS OF PRESIDENTIAL TALK SHOWS ON YOUTUBE, Ismail Tahir, Muhammad Gana Fajar Ramadhan 2024. This paper analyzes hate speech in Indonesian netizens' comments on YouTube, focusing on impoliteness strategies. It identifies early warning as the most common type of hate comment. While it touches on digital communication and (im)politeness analysis, it does not explicitly apply specific pragmatic theories.
5. (Im)Politeness and (In)Civility in Social Media: The Case of Pronouns and Propositions in Twitter Comments, Aisah, 2020. This paper analyzes impoliteness and incivility in Indonesian Twitter comments using Culpeper's impoliteness theory and Papacharissi's incivility theory. It examines how pronouns and propositions are used to attack President Jokowi's positive face, finding that informal pronouns like "Lu/Loe" are considered impolite.
6. Impoliteness in Indonesian Language Hate Speech on Social Media Contained in the Instagram Account, Subyantoro Subyantoro, S. Apriyanto, 2020. This paper analyzes hate speech using impoliteness theory, identifying strategies like positive and negative impoliteness. The study focuses on Indonesian language hate speech found in Instagram comments. While it does discuss social media, it does not explicitly apply pragmatic theories.
7. Analysis Model of Impolite Indonesian Language Use, 2021. The paper analyzes impolite language use in Indonesian on social media, focusing on factors like context, power, diction, and ethical speech acts. It aims to develop a model for analyzing impoliteness. While it mentions social media, it does not explicitly apply pragmatic theories.
8. IMPOLITENESS STRATEGY IN INSTAGRAM CYBERBULLYING: A CASE STUDY OF JENNIFER DUNN POSTED BY @LAMBE_TURAH, Fani Indrawan, 2018. The paper perfectly matches the impoliteness and Indonesian language criteria, as it analyzes cyberbullying comments on an Indonesian Instagram account using Culpeper's impoliteness strategies. It is somewhat relevant to cyberpragmatics, as it applies a pragmatic theory (impoliteness strategies) to online communication.

Jonathan Culpeper (2011) in Impoliteness: Using Language to Cause Offence

 

Jonathan Culpeper adalah seorang ahli pragmatik dan linguistik yang dikenal atas kontribusinya dalam studi tentang impoliteness atau ketidaksopanan dalam bahasa. Melalui berbagai karyanya, terutama buku "Impoliteness: Using Language to Cause Offence" (2011), Culpeper mengeksplorasi bagaimana ketidaksopanan digunakan sebagai alat komunikasi yang efektif untuk menyampaikan pesan tertentu.

Definisi dan Konsep Dasar

Ketidaksopanan, menurut Culpeper, merujuk pada perilaku komunikatif yang menarik evaluasi negatif dalam konteks tertentu dan menyebabkan pelanggaran atau ketidaknyamanan. Ini berbeda dari ketidaksopanan yang tidak disengaja atau ketidaktahuan terhadap norma sosial; ketidaksopanan sering kali bersifat disengaja dan strategis. Culpeper menekankan bahwa ketidaksopanan bukan hanya kebalikan dari kesopanan, tetapi memiliki dinamika dan fungsi tersendiri dalam interaksi sosial.

Strategi Ketidaksopanan

Dalam upayanya untuk menguraikan anatomi ketidaksopanan, Culpeper mengidentifikasi beberapa strategi utama yang digunakan individu untuk mengekspresikan ketidaksopanan: