Gender Differences in The Use of Politeness Strategies: A Pragmatic Analysis of Pahari Speech Acts

Abstract

This paper aims to investigate gender-based variations in the use of politeness strategies in Pahari. Based on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory and Searle’s (1969) Speech Act Theory, the study highlights how male and female Pahari speakers use different politeness strategies to perform different speech acts. The data was collected from 40 Pahari speakers through a discourse completion task (DCT) and interviews. A mixed method approach was used to analyse the politeness strategies used by each gender and to examine the frequencies of these types of strategies. Gender-based variations were found in the use of politeness strategies in Pahari across different speech acts. There was a significant use of bald-on-record politeness strategies by male participants in their responses. They prefer clarity and directness over politeness and pay less attention to softening their responses. Conversely, female participants use positive, negative politeness and off-record strategies frequently as compared to males. The findings confirm the traditional view of Pahari society regarding the role of gender, in which Pahari social and cultural values require the women to be accommodating and respectful while men are expected to be authoritative, assertive, and direct.