Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication Sigrid Kelsey Louisiana State University, USA Kirk St.Amant East Carolina University, USA Volume I INFORMATION SCIENCE REFERENCE Hershey • New York Acquisitions Editor: Kristin Klinger Development Editor: Kristin Roth Senior Managing Editor: Jennifer Neidig Managing Editor: Jamie Snavely Assistant Managing Editor: Carole Coulson Copy Editor: Katie Smalley, Lanette Ehrhardt Typesetter: Christopher Hrobak Cover Design: Lisa Tosheff Printed at: Yurchak Printing Inc. Published in the United States of America by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global) 701 E. Chocolate Avenue, Suite 200 Hershey PA 17033 Tel: 717-533-8845 Fax: 717-533-8661 E-mail: [email protected] Web site: http://www.igi-global.com and in the United Kingdom by Information Science Reference (an imprint of IGI Global) 3 Henrietta Street Covent Garden London WC2E 8LU Tel: 44 20 7240 0856 Fax: 44 20 7379 0609 Web site: http://www.eurospanbookstore.com Copyright © 2008 by IGI Global. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or distributed in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, without written permission from the publisher. Product or company names used in this set are for identification purposes only. Inclusion of the names of the products or companies does not indicate a claim of ownership by IGI Global of the trademark or registered trademark. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Handbook of research on computer mediated communication / Sigrid Kelsey and Kirk St. Amant, editors. p. cm. Summary: "This book provides academics and practitioners with an authoritative collection of research on the implications and social effects computers have had on communication. With 65 chapters of innovative research compiled in this comprehensive reference source, this handbook of research is a must-have addition to every library collection"--Provided by publisher. ISBN 978-1-59904-863-5 (hbk.) -- ISBN 978-1-59904-864-2 (e-book) 1. Computer-assisted instruction. 2. Communication and technology. 3. Information technology--Social aspects. I. Kelsey, Sigrid. II. St. Amant, Kirk, 1970- LB1028.5.H3163 2008 378.1'734--dc22 2008001871 British Cataloguing in Publication Data A Cataloguing in Publication record for this book is available from the British Library. All work contributed to this book set is original material. The views expressed in this book are those of the authors, but not necessarily of the publisher. If a library purchased a print copy of this publication, please go to http://www.igi-global.com/agreement for information on activating the library's complimentary electronic access to this publication. Chapter LXVI Solidarity and Rapport in Social Interaction* Jung-ran Park Drexel University, USA ABSTRACT This chapter examines the way online language users enhance social interaction and group collabora- tion through the computer mediated communication (CMC) channel. For this, discourse analysis based on the linguistic politeness theoretical framework is applied to the transcripts of a real time online chat. Analysis of the data shows that online participants employ a variety of creative devices to signal nonver- bal communication cues that serve to build interpersonal solidarity and rapport, as well as by seeking common ground and by expressing agreement online participants increase mutual understanding and harmonious social interaction. This sets the tone of positive interpersonal relationships and decreases the social distance among participants. In turn, this engenders solidarity and proximity, which enhances social interaction through the CMC channel. INTRODUCTION Herring, 1999; Potter, 2004). Paralinguistic fea- tures are supra-linguistic features that are added In contrast to the face-to-face setting, text-based to linguistic elements. Prosodic features, a type computer mediated communication (CMC) modes of paralinguistic feature, such as high pitch, in- impose conversational constraints to language tonation, pause, tone of voice and accent enable users owing to lack of the contextual cues that are speakers to convey a variety of socio-cognitive richly available in the face-to-face communication as well as emotional meanings. setting (Potter, 2004; Rice & Love, 1987; Witmer, In addition, the keyboarding required in the 1998). That is, the CMC modes lack certain face- CMC channel demands more effort and time to-face communication features that facilitate than speaking, thus delaying the transference of an efficient process for encoding and decoding the communicator’s message. Typing also does linguistic and paralinguistic communication not deliver nonverbal signals such as gesture and among participants (Barnes, 2003; Baron, 1998; facial expressions that convey interpersonal and Copyright © 2008, IGI Global, distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Solidarity and Rapport in Social Interaction affective stances as well as modifying semantic ously observed in lexicon and conventionalized meanings delivered by the linguistic elements linguistic elements. deliver to the hearer. The text-based CMC modes One of these conventionalized lexical elements do not afford communication participants use of is “face,” a cornerstone in theoretical frameworks any of these critical paralinguistic and nonverbal of linguistic politeness. Goffman (1967) delineates features. the concept of face in the following way: “… the The lack of contextual cues tends to create positive social value a person effectively claims miscommunication and linguistic ambiguity vis- for himself by the line others assume he has taken à-vis face-to-face communication. For example, during a particular contact.” Face-work encom- misinterpretation of messages commonly occurs passes all verbal and nonverbal expressions and or constructive criticism can be misunderstood rituals that speech participants abide to maintain as sarcasm or insult. Thus, information seeking and enhance each other’s face. and sharing through the online communication Thus, we observe frequent indirect and ambig- mode frequently involves face threatening acts uous communication among speech participants in (FTA). Face threatening acts (FTA) are utter- everyday language use. For instance, people tend ances or actions that threaten a person’s public to be indirect when they disagree with or request self-image, that is, face. something through employment of various verbal The goal of this chapter is to present the mecha- and nonverbal expressions, such as the use of nisms by which online language users overcome hint, humor or lengthy explanation using various communicational constraints imposed by the lexical and syntactic hedges prior to expressing a computer mediated communication channel. This disagreement to the previous turn. Such linguistic chapter also aims to present the manner in which behavior underscores face-management of speech online language users promote active interaction participants and accordingly underlies the inter- and collaboration for successful information personal and interactive function of language use seeking and sharing during group discussion. during social interaction. For this, discourse analysis based on a linguistic Face is paradoxical in that two Janus-like politeness theoretical framework is utilized. This aspects (i.e., involvement and independence) chapter closely relates to the communication and operate in communication, with differences in social interactional patterns of the various forms degree dependent on the setting and context of of the CMC genre, even though the study deals communication. The involvement aspect of face with a synchronous chat forum. reflects the human need to be involved and con- nected with others; it concerns a person’s needs to be considered as a supporting and approachable THEORETICAL BACKGROUND member of society. On the other hand, the indepen- dence aspect of face concerns the individuality of Linguistic politeness can be seen ultimately as participants, reflecting the individual’s autonomy a socio-cultural phenomenon (Lakoff, 1973), as and freedom from imposition. indicated by its principal definitional character- Put another way, regarding these two opposite istic as a so-called strategic device for reducing but interconnected face values, human beings have social friction by smoothing social interactions both the innate desire or longing for freedom from and by avoiding conflict during social encounters. connection toward dissociation, independence, As such, it is encoded within linguistic systems avoidance and distance, that is, the independence/ through filtering of given social and cultural attri- negative face, as well as the longing for connec- butes. Such linguistic realization can be conspicu- tion, association, interdependence, proximity Solidarity and Rapport in Social Interaction and approach, that is, the involvement/positive CMC mode is a cornerstone in promoting more face. According to the coinage of Scollon and successful communication and collaboration for Scollon (1983), “deference” denotes Brown and information seeking and sharing among online Levinson’s negative face and “solidarity” signi- discourse participants. fies the positive face. Brown and Levinson (1987, p. 61) present the involvement aspect of face in the following way: LITERATURE REVIEW “the positive consistent self-image or “personal- ity” (crucially including the desire that