ポライトネスの観点から見た日本語の説得ストラテジー

Abstract

This paper uncovers the usage and characteristics of the persuasion- strategies found in Japanese TV dramas in terms of politeness. Our study subdivides Won’s (2001) classification of persuasion-strategies in accordance with the following two points. (1) Kohsai’a (1996) five-way logical system is incorporated into LS (Logos Strategy). (2) ES (Ethos Strategy), PS (Pathos Strategy), and LS (Logos Strategy) are included based on spontaneous data. The results of our analysis are summarised as follows. Firstly, whilst there is some relation between the degree of being polite to others and the frequency of persuasion-strategies, they are not strictly correlated. Secondly, persuasion-strategies are frequently used when (i) the content of persuasion is a burden on the listener, (ii) the listener’s power is relatively weak compared with the speaker’s power, and (iii) the social distances between the speaker and the listener are substantial. Thirdly, the speaker tends to persuade the listener by (i) resorting to the emotion of the hearer, (ii) talking about the speaker him/herself, and (iii) presenting reasonable evidence. On the basis of these considerations, it is argued that persuasions tend to be conducted logically and reasonably in the “high-politeness” contexts; persuasions tend to rely on emotions rather than logical evidence in the other “low-politeness” contexts.