Rudeness As a System of Strategies and an Object of Classification

View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by Siberian Federal University Digital Repository Journal of Siberian Federal University. Humanities & Social Sciences 12 (2012 5) 1790-1797 ~ ~ ~ УДК 808.5 Rudeness as a System of Strategies and an Object of Classification Vladimir I. Zhelvis* K.D. Ushinsky State Pedagogical University 108 Respublikanskaya St. Yaroslavl, 150000 Russia 1 Received 04.12.2012, received in revised form 11.12.2012, accepted 24.12.2012 In the article rudeness is considered as a strategy aimed at achieving a certain pragmatic effect. The author considers it possible to subdivide rudeness into rudeness of repulsion, cathartic rudeness, authoritative rudeness, rudeness as an expression of dissoluteness, aristocratic rudeness, rudeness as an expression of “buddy-buddy manners”, friendly rudeness, carnal rudeness, rudeness as an expression of class solidarity, etc. Different versions of rude abuse are also observed. Keywords: politeness, rudeness, abuse, repulsion, catharsis, class solidarity, level of competence, cultural patterns You spoke your words as though you denied the very existence of the shadows or of evil. But would you kindly ponder this question: What would your good do if evil didn’t exist, and what would the earth look like if all the shadows disappeared? M. Bulgakov. Master and Margarita The present article regards rudeness as a sort others, in an inability to restrain one’s annoyance, of strategy aimed at achieving a certain pragmatic in an unpremeditated, or premeditated, attack on effect. other people’s self-respect, in undue familiarity, In the Russian online Philosophical in dirty language, in making use of humiliating dictionary one may read: nicknames, as well as in rampageous actions”. “Rudeness is a negative moral quality As we can see, this detailed definition builds characterized by neglect of behaviour culture; up an opposition between rudeness and politeness, opposite to politeness. One of the most and points out that rudeness may express itself in disrespectful attitudes towards other people, action as well as in words. The present research rudeness expresses itself in undisguised hostility dwells on verbal rudeness, although rude actions to other people, in lack of attention to other cannot be neglected either. people’s interests and needs, in an impudent If the phenomenon of politeness has always attempt to impose one’s own will and wishes on been popular among the research workers all over * Corresponding author E-mail address: [email protected] 1 © Siberian Federal University. All rights reserved – 1790 – Vladimir I. Zhelvis. Rudeness as a System of Strategies and an Object of Classification the world (Brown and Levinson, 1987; Larina, contrary, is mainly pragmatic, which is accepted 2009, et al.), that of rudeness interested the in accordance with the norms of the given social scholars much less. Nevertheless, there is no doubt group. On the practical level, every social group that the role rudeness plays in communication is possesses its own concept of rudeness. in no way smaller than that of politeness, for all The fact is that rudeness is discursive and their behavioural differences. cannot be regarded in isolation from the context, The fact is that politeness as well as rudeness while the context in this case is a social milieu in their typical manifestations is nothing else than in which any act may be or may be not looked two opposite means of achieving one and the same upon as rude. To a very great extent decision on aim, namely an attempt to gain a certain profit. what is more rude and what is less rude depends Metaphorically, politeness may be compared to on the addressee; for example, even Russian peaceful negotiations of two competing powers, dirtiest language, like the so-called “mat” may while rudeness may be equalled to a military be received by the opponent as something much conflict, the final aim in both cases being an less offensive than a humiliating order without a attempt to get in possession of certain resources. single bad word, as “Get away!” For all that, one cannot assert that politeness Different reactions to rudeness may well and rudeness are opposite mirror-like, that is be illustrated by two Russian proverbial idioms, where one has a “plus” the other exposes a «Собака лает, ветер носит» (A dog’s bark is “minus”. Things are more complicated, it seems. blown away by the wind) and «Ему плюнь в Still, it is evident that they both allow themselves глаза, а ему всё божья роса» (You may spit him to be arranged in a certain classification. in the eye, yet he will say it was holy dew). The first Though a necessary reservation seems due idiom refers to the indifferent or spiteful reaction here. Where politeness may easily be structured to an invective attack, while the other describes in a more detailed way, a similarly fine gradation the behaviour of a shameless fellow with very low of rudeness is hardly possible. Tautology morals. In both cases the invective shell bursts but excused, rudeness is, by definition, too rude, too just does not hurt. Still, the first “victim” admits unceremonious to be able to fit into a strict and that what he hears are swear words hurled at him exact classification net. and meant to harm, otherwise he would not have As it has been mentioned above, rudeness called the opponent’s words “dog’s bark”. In the may be physical and verbal. Naturally, so can second case, however, offensive language is taken be politeness. But in the case of rudeness the for granted and is placidly ignored. difference is much more noticeable. Not that the All the difficulties of classification problem is in which is stronger. After all, we notwithstanding, one may subdivide rudeness know that verbal rudeness may be, literally, more into several groups. Let us consider some of deadly than a physical blow. them. According to Prof. T.V. Larina, politeness 1. First will come what one may call may be absolute semantically, and relative rudeness of repulsion, i.e. a deliberate pragmatically (Larina, 2009). Similarly, one desire to push the opponent away, literally may try to subdivide rudeness into absolute, or verbally, to offend them, to humiliate like a fist blow, a deliberate push or exposing one’s them, to ruin their self-esteem. This may middle finger. Evidently, here we have physical, be put in effect by a physical blow, a slap or visual, rudeness. Verbal rudeness, on the in the face, a rough repulsion, as well as – 1791 – Vladimir I. Zhelvis. Rudeness as a System of Strategies and an Object of Classification calling names, cursing, using obscene yellow press reports, makes use of the language, etc. most repulsive obscenities regardless of 2. In a way, rudeness of repulsion is related where and with whom he chooses to speak. to cathartic rudeness, when one swears Zverev’s lazily slow manner of speech and thus, by breaking a strong taboo, feels proves that the fellow does not experience better, “relieves his soul”. In this case a any need to “let out the steam”, it is just a physical reaction is also possible, when a means to demonstrate his indifference to person may crush anything in sight. But other people’s feelings. more often we speak about a verbal attack, 5. Next comes “aristocratic rudeness”, when violating a universally accepted rudeness with the sole purpose to shock taboo offers the actor a satisfaction and startle. Unlike the followers of similar to, say, a plate broken during a Zverev, actors are rude only in their noisy family row. own company. Their language is a way See in this connection a story from the to express their “democratic views”. memoirs by the great Russian social anthropologist Examples are numerous, especially among Prof. Yu.M. Lotman who describes his war-time artists, actors, but most of all among adventures (Translated from the Russian): military and political leadership. Among The place was absolutely deserted. I was Russian foul-mouths one might mention completely broken down, but I somehow found emperors (Peter the Great and Alexander a means to support myself: I was walking and the Third) politicians (Chernomyrdin and shooting tracer bullets, one by one, right up Gorbachev), army generals (G. Zhukov) into the blue sky. Strangely, it somehow helped and many others. to overcome the feeling of being lost. At the 6. Close to this one stands rudeness as an same time I shouted at the top of my voice the expression of buddy-buddy manners. most unprintable swear words. This mixture of This is, so to speak, “good-natured shooting and swearing gave me the necessary rudeness” of the type “Hello, fartface, relief. At last I waded the last tributary, dropped haven’t seen you for ages” Strictly to the ground and immediately fell asleep. speaking, this is no rudeness in the Crossing the river Don was over (Lotman, 2003, direct sense, the speaker demonstrates p.25 in Russian). his friendly attitude, always supported 3. A part of this strategy may be named by a benevolent intonation. Still, the authoritative rudeness, an attempt to use of the rude idioms allows us to humiliate one’s subordinate to show who list this case among all the others. the boss is. Naturally, such rudeness is See the following example from the always one-sided, and answering back memoirs of the famous Russian ballet is looked upon as an unprecedented dancer Maris Liepa (Translated from violation of the norm. Russian): 4. One may speak about rudeness as an (Yermolaev says, “You are such a bastard, expression of dissoluteness, a deliberate such a true bastard, such a good bastard that you’re neglect of etiquette.

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