Politeness strategies in directive and expressive speech acts on the in her view podcast

Abstract

This study investigates the realization of politeness strategies in directive and expressive speech acts used in the In Her View podcast episode entitled Beauty Standard. The research aims to examine how speakers employ politeness strategies when discussing a sensitive topic while maintaining harmonious interpersonal communication. The study adopts a qualitative descriptive approach using Searle’s Speech Act Theory, Brown and Levinson’s Politeness Theory, and Holmes’s Social Dimensions Framework. The data were obtained from the utterances produced by five female speakers in the selected podcast episode and analyzed through documentation, classification, and pragmatic interpretation. The findings reveal that expressive speech acts are more frequently employed than directive speech acts, indicating that the speakers prioritize emotional support, appreciation, and agreement throughout the discussion. Positive politeness is predominantly realized through expressions of solidarity, shared experiences, compliments, and agreement, whereas negative politeness appears when speakers provide suggestions or opinions that may potentially threaten the interlocutor’s face. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that close social distance, equal social status, and a semi-formal conversational setting encourage the use of supportive and cooperative communication. The findings confirm that politeness strategies play a significant role in reducing face-threatening acts and maintaining interpersonal harmony during discussions involving beauty standards. This study contributes to pragmatic research by providing insights into the interaction between speech acts, politeness strategies, and social dimensions in contemporary digital communication.