Cover not available

Article published In: Relational work in Facebook and discussion boards/fora
Edited by Miriam A. Locher, Brook Bolander and Nicole Höhn
[Pragmatics 25:1] 2015
► pp. 47–71

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF

Intergroup rudeness and the metapragmatics of its negotiation in online discussion fora

Open Access logo
Available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial (CC BY-NC) 4.0 license.
Published online: 1 March 2015
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/prag.25.1.03kle
This study investigates the communicative practices in English and German online discussion fora as exemplified by two thematically related sample threads. Combining first- and second-order approaches to (im-)politeness, the paper focuses on the question of how participants use intergroup rudeness as a means of in- and outgroup construction and examines how intergroup rudeness is metapragmatically negotiated as the discussions unfold. The results show that intergroup rudeness as well as metapragmatic comments are handled very differently in the two communities explored. Suggesting cultural preferences, there is a much higher degree of interactivity and a clear preference for negotiation at an interpersonal level in the German discussion group; its English counterpart favours negotiation at an intergroup level. Both threads provide metapragmatic evidence that the frequent use of rudeness tokens does not automatically make rudeness an accepted norm.
References (45)
Angouri, Jo, and Theodora Tseliga (2010) "You have no idea what you are talking about!" From e- disagreement to e-impoliteness in two online fora. Journal of Politeness Research: Language, Behaviour, Culture 6.1: 57–82.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Bousfield, Derek (2008) Impoliteness in Interaction. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Burnett, Gary, and Laurie Bonnici (2003) Beyond the FAQ. Explicit and implicit norms in Usenet newsgroups. Library & Information Science Research 251: 333–351. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Caffi, Claudia (1998) Metapragmatics. In J.L. Mey (ed.), Concise Encyclopedia of Pragmatics. Amsterdam: Elsevier, pp. 581–586.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Culpeper, Jonathan (1996) Towards an anatomy of impoliteness. Journal of Pragmatics 251: 349–367.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010) Conventionalised impoliteness formulae. Journal of Pragmatics 421: 3232–3245.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2011) Impoliteness. Using Language to Cause Offence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Danet, Brenda (2013) Flaming and linguistic impoliteness on a listserv. In S. Herring, D. Stein, and T. Virtanen (eds.), Pragmatics of Computer-mediated Communication. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 639–664. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Der Papst in den USA – Retter in der Not? (2008) Spiegel ONLINE. Forum. Retrieved April 25, 2008, from [URL].
Dresner, Eli, and Susan C. Herring (2010) Functions of the non-verbal in CMC: Emoticons and illocutionary force. Communication Theory 201: 249–268. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dubrovsky, Vitaly J., Sara Kiesler, and Beheruz N. Sethna (1991) The equalization phenomenon: Status effects in computer-mediated and face-to-face decision-making groups. Human-Computer Interaction 61: 119–146. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Eysenbach, Gunther, and James E. Till (2001) Ethical issues in qualitative research on internet communities. BMJ 3231: 1103–1105. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Graham, Sage L. (2007) Disagreeing to agree: Conflict, (im)politeness and identity in a computer- mediated community. Journal of Pragmatics 391: 742–759.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Haines, Russell, Jill Hough, Lan Cao, and Douglas Haines (2012) Anonymity in computer-mediated communication: More contrarian ideas with less influence. Group Decision and Negotiation, Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Herring, Susan C. (2007) A faceted classification scheme for computer-mediated discourse. Language@Internet 41: article 1. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Hübler, Alex, and Wolfram Bublitz (2007) Introducing metapragmatics in use. In W. Bublitz, and A. Hübler (eds.), Metapragmatics in Use. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 1–26.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Johnson, Mike (2010) Anonymity in online discussion forums – does it promote connections? In L. Dirckinck-Holmfeld, V. Hodgson, C. Jones, M. de Laat, D. McConnell, and T. Ryberg (eds.), Proceedings of the 7th International Conference on Networked Learning 2010. Lancaster: University of Lancaster, pp. 198–206.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kienpointner, Manfred (1997) Varieties of rudeness. Functions of Language 41: 251–287.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2008) Impoliteness and emotional arguments. Journal of Politeness Research: Language, Behaviour, Culture 41: 243–256.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kiesler, Sara, and Lee Sproull (1992) Group decision making and communication technology. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes 521: 96–123. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kleinke, Sonja (2007) Sprachliche Strategien verbaler Ablehnung in öffentlichen Diskussionsforen des Internets. In S.K. Herrmann, S. Krämer, and H. Kuch (eds.), Verletzende Worte. Die Grammatik sprachlicher Missachtung. Bielefeld: Peter Lang, pp. 311–336. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010) Interactive aspects of computer-mediated communication – 'Disagreement' in an English-speaking and a German-speaking Public News Group. In S. Tanskanen, L. Helasvuo, M. Johannson, and M. Raitaniemi (eds.), Discourses in Interaction. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 195–222. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Korenmatt, Joan, and Nancy Wyatt (1996) Group dynamics in an e-mail forum. In S. Herring (ed.), Computer-Mediated Communication. Amsterdam: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 225–242. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Largier, Céline (2002) Aspekte der Debatte in argumentationsorientierten Internet-Foren: Die Abtreibungsdebatte in Frankreich und Deutschland. Deutsche Sprache 301: 287–306.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Locher, Miriam A., and Derek Bousfield (2008) Introduction: Impoliteness and power in language. In D. Bousfield, and M.A. Locher (eds.), Impoliteness in Language. Studies on its Interplay with Power in Theory and Practice. Berlin/New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 1–13.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Locher, Miriam A., and Richard J. Watts (2008) Relational work and impoliteness. Negotiating norms of linguistic behaviour. In D. Bousfield, and M.A. Locher (eds.), Impoliteness in Language. Studies on its Interplay with Power in Theory and Practice. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 77–99.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Marcoccia, Michel (2004) Online polylogues: Conversation structure and participation framework in internet newsgroups. Journal of Pragmatics 361: 115–145.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Maricic, Ibolya (2005) Face in Cyberspace: Facework, (Im)politeness and Conflict in English Discussion Groups. Växjö: Växjö University Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Postmes, Tom, Russell Spears, and Martin Lea (1998) Breaching or building social boundaries? SIDE- effects of computer-mediated communication. Communication Research 251: 689–715. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2000) The formation of group norms in computer- mediated communication. Human Communication Research 261: 341–371. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rhea, Nancy, Alfred Rovai, Michael Ponton, Gail Derrick, and John Davis (2007) The effect of computer-mediated communication on anonymous end-of-course teaching evaluations. International Journal on E-Learning 6.4: 581–592.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Schütte, Wilfried (2000) Sprache und Kommunikationsformen in Newsgroups and Mailinglisten. In W. Kallmeyer (ed.), Sprache und neue Medien. Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. 142–178. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Should the US give the Pope such a presidential welcome? (2008) BBC NEWS-Have Your Say. Retrieved April 20, 2008, from [URL]
Severinson Eklundh, Kerstin (2010) To quote or not to quote: Setting the context for computer-mediated dialogues. Language@Internet 71: article 5. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from [URL].Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Smith, Christine B., Margaret L. McLaughlin, and Kerry K. Osborne (1997) Conduct control on Usenet. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication 2.4. Retrieved June 23, 2013, from [URL]. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Spencer-Oatey, Helen (2005) (Im)politeness, face and perceptions of rapport: Unpacking their bases and interrelationships. Journal of Politeness Research: Language, Behaviour, Culture 11: 95–119.  BoP Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Suler, John (2004) The online disinhibition effect. Cyber Psychology and Behavior 71: 321–326. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tajfel, Henri (1978) Social categorization, social identity and social comparison. In H. Tajfel (ed.), Differentiation between Social Groups. Studies in the Social Psychology of Intergroup Relations. Cambridge: Academic Press, pp. 61–76.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tanskanen, Sanna-Kaisa (2007) Metapragmatic utterances in computer-mediated interaction. In W. Bublitz, and A. Hübler (eds.), Metapragmatics in Use. Amsterdam, Philadelphia: John Benjamins Publishing Company, pp. 87–106. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Walther, Joseph B., Jeffrey F. Anderson, and David W. Park (1994) Interpersonal effects in computer- mediated interaction. A meta-analysis of social and antisocial communication. Communication Research 211: 460–487. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Watts, Richard J. (2003) Politeness. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.  BoPGoogle Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
. (2005) Linguistic politeness research: Quo vadis? In R.J. Watts, S. Ide, and K. Ehlich (eds.), Politeness in Language. Studies in its History, Theory and Practice. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter, pp. xi–xlvii. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Watts, Richard J., Sachiko Ide, and Konrad Ehlich (eds.) (2005) Politeness in Language. Studies in its History, Theory and Practice. Berlin, New York: Mouton de Gruyter. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Weder, Mirjam (2008) Form and function of metacommunication in CMC. In S. Kelsey, and K.S. Amant (eds.), Handbook of Research on Computer Mediated Communication. Hershey, New York: Idea Group Publishing, pp. 570–586. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (39)

Cited by 39 other publications

Culpeper, Jonathan, Isolde van Dorst & Mathew Gillings
2025. 30710 A corpus-based exploration of British English impoliteness formulae. In The Grammar of Impoliteness, ► pp. 307 ff. DOI logo
Olmen, Daniel Van, Jonathan Culpeper, Riccardo Giomi & Marta Andersson
2025. 31 The grammar of impoliteness. In The Grammar of Impoliteness, ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Queisser, Angela & Monika Pleyer
2025. 2538 Such an impoliteness: Evidence for the ‘evaluative such construction’. In The Grammar of Impoliteness, ► pp. 253 ff. DOI logo
Thompson, Rachel G. A., Ebenezer Agbaglo & Mohammed Yakub
2024. “…you were reared”: Response Comments on Verbal Attacks in Political Discourse on GhanaWeb. Emerging Media 2:2 ► pp. 210 ff. DOI logo
Talebzadeh, Hossein & Marzieh Khazraie
2023. “You can f*** get lost already”: (Responding to) impoliteness in the (in-)authentic discourse of comedy and crime TV series and movies. Journal of Politeness Research 19:2 ► pp. 485 ff. DOI logo
Tsoumou, Jean Mathieu
2023. “What is Wrong With You People That You are Happy Someone has Covid” Impoliteness in the Coronavirus Pandemic Era. Sage Open 13:1 DOI logo
Tsoumou, Jean Mathieu
2023. Impoliteness among multilingual Facebook users in Congo Brazzaville. Journal of Politeness Research 19:2 ► pp. 521 ff. DOI logo
Andersson, Marta
2022. ‘So many “virologists” in this thread!’. Pragmatics. Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA) 32:4 ► pp. 489 ff. DOI logo
Andersson, Marta
2024. E-mpoliteness – creative impoliteness as an expression of digital social capital. Journal of Politeness Research 20:2 ► pp. 227 ff. DOI logo
Culpeper, Jonathan, Paul Iganski & Abe Sweiry
2022. Linguistic impoliteness and religiously aggravated hate crime in England and Wales. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict ► pp. 1 ff. DOI logo
Gauducheau, Nadia & Michel Marcoccia
2021. Aggressiveness on a French Discussion Forum for Youth: Analyzing the Participants’ Point of View. In Analyzing Digital Discourses, ► pp. 275 ff. DOI logo
Gauducheau, Nadia & Michel Marcoccia
2023. La violence verbale dans un forum de discussion pour les 18-25 ans. Réseaux N° 241:5 ► pp. 79 ff. DOI logo
Kleinke, Sonja & Julia Landmann
2021. Cross-Cultural Observations on English and German Wikipedia Entries at the Interface of Convergence and Controversy. In Analyzing Digital Discourses, ► pp. 135 ff. DOI logo
Mestre, Eva M. & Jesús Romero-Trillo
2021.  Expressing opinions and emotions while travelling on-line. In The Pragmatics of Adaptability [Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 319], ► pp. 235 ff. DOI logo
Tanskanen, Sanna-Kaisa
2021. “Stop Arguing”: Interventions as Metapragmatic Acts in Discussion Forum Interaction. In Analyzing Digital Discourses, ► pp. 219 ff. DOI logo
Tanskanen, Sanna-Kaisa
2024. “Ding ding ding we have a hypocrite!”. In The Pragmatics of Hypocrisy [Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 343], ► pp. 74 ff. DOI logo
Wodak, Ruth, Jonathan Culpeper & Elena Semino
2021. Shameless normalisation of impoliteness: Berlusconi’s and Trump’s press conferences. Discourse & Society 32:3 ► pp. 369 ff. DOI logo
Hatzidaki, Ourania
2020. “An equal right to comment”. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 8:2 ► pp. 156 ff. DOI logo
Jucker, Andreas
2020. Politeness in the History of English, DOI logo
Zhao, Linsen
2020. Mock Impoliteness and Co-Construction of Hudui Rituals in Chinese Online Interaction. Chinese Journal of Applied Linguistics 43:1 ► pp. 45 ff. DOI logo
Jaki, Sylvia, Tom De Smedt, Maja Gwóźdź, Rudresh Panchal, Alexander Rossa & Guy De Pauw
2019. Online hatred of women in the Incels.me forum. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 7:2 ► pp. 240 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Ping & Xiaoye You
2019. Metapragmatic comments in web-based intercultural peer evaluation. Intercultural Pragmatics 16:1 ► pp. 57 ff. DOI logo
Pinto-Coelho, Zara, Anabela Carvalho & Eunice Castro Seixas
2019. News discourse and readers’ comments: Expanding the range of citizenship positions?. Journalism 20:6 ► pp. 733 ff. DOI logo
De Gagne, Jennie C., Kyle Covington, Jamie L. Conklin, Sandra S. Yamane & Sang Suk Kim
2018. Learning Cybercivility: A Qualitative Needs Assessment of Health Professions Students. The Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing 49:9 ► pp. 425 ff. DOI logo
Kienpointner, Manfred
2018. Impoliteness online. Internet Pragmatics 1:2 ► pp. 329 ff. DOI logo
Kienpointner, Manfred
2020. Impoliteness online. In (Im)politeness and Moral Order in Online Interactions [Benjamins Current Topics, 107], ► pp. 125 ff. DOI logo
Lorenzo-Dus, Nuria & Stuart Macdonald
2018. Othering the West in the online Jihadist propaganda magazines Inspire and Dabiq . Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 6:1 ► pp. 79 ff. DOI logo
Sinkeviciute, Valeria
2018. “Ya bloody drongo!!!”. Internet Pragmatics 1:2 ► pp. 272 ff. DOI logo
Sinkeviciute, Valeria
2020. “Ya bloody drongo!!!”. In (Im)politeness and Moral Order in Online Interactions [Benjamins Current Topics, 107], ► pp. 67 ff. DOI logo
Culpeper, Jonathan & Claire Hardaker
2017. Impoliteness. In The Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness, ► pp. 199 ff. DOI logo
Graham, Sage L. & Claire Hardaker
2017. (Im)politeness in Digital Communication. In The Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness, ► pp. 785 ff. DOI logo
Jucker, Andreas H. & Larssyn Staley
2017. (Im)politeness and Developments in Methodology. In The Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness, ► pp. 403 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Ping & Huiying Liu
2017. Responding to direct complaints. Pragmatics & Cognition 24:1 ► pp. 4 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Ping & Huiying Liu
2022. Pragmatic manipulation of metapragmatic expressions in BELF meetings. Applied Pragmatics 4:1 ► pp. 92 ff. DOI logo
Pleyer, Monika
2017. Chapter 10. Identities and impoliteness in translated Harry Potter novels. In Current Issues in Intercultural Pragmatics [Pragmatics & Beyond New Series, 274], ► pp. 231 ff. DOI logo
Al-Tahmazi, Thulfiqar
2016. Fuelling ethno-sectarian conflicts. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 4:2 ► pp. 297 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Ping & Yongping Ran
2016. The role of metapragmatic expressions as pragmatic manipulation in a TV panel discussion program. Pragmatics and Society 7:3 ► pp. 463 ff. DOI logo
Liu, Ping & Yongping Ran
2016. Creating meso-contexts: The functions of metapragmatic expressions in argumentative TV talk shows. Intercultural Pragmatics 13:2 DOI logo
Mestre-Mestre, Eva M.
2016. Healing and Comfort on the Net: Gender and Emotions in Violent Domestic Environments. In Yearbook of Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics 2016 [Yearbook of Corpus Linguistics and Pragmatics, ], ► pp. 51 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 30 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue