In:Address Variation in Sociocultural Context: Region, power and distance in Italian service encounters
Agnese Bresin
[Topics in Address Research 2] 2021
► pp. v–xii
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Published online: 26 February 2021
https://doi.org/10.1075/tar.2.toc
https://doi.org/10.1075/tar.2.toc
Table of contents
List of tables
List of figures
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Chapter 1.Theory behind address practices
1.1Key concepts
1.1.1Image
1.1.2Common ground and closeness
1.1.3Social distance
1.1.4Power
1.1.5Respect
1.1.6Enhancing the interlocutor’s image
1.1.7Accommodation principle
1.1.8Cultural context and situational context
1.1.9Community of practice
1.2Common practice
1.2.1Competing practices in interactional contexts
1.2.2Evolving practices in cultural changes
1.3Practices as expression of identity
1.3.1Personal and community preferences
1.3.2Style and identity
1.3.3Images, roles, and identity
1.4An account of identity from sociocultural linguistics
1.4.1Basic demographic level
1.4.2Cultural and linguistic level
1.4.3Situational and interactional level
1.5Conclusions
Chapter 2.Cultural and linguistic context of Italy
2.1Regional cultures and identities
2.1.1Development of Italian regional identities
2.1.2What are Italian regions?
2.1.3Some cultural models in post-war Italy
2.1.4Macro-regions: North and south (and centre)
2.1.5Italian regions in this study
2.2Languages and dialects in Italy
2.2.1Relationship between language and dialect in contemporary Italy
2.2.2The case of the Sardinian language
2.2.3Official data on reported dialect use
2.2.4Regional varieties of Italian
2.2.5Social prestige attached to varieties of Italian
2.3Geography in studies on Italian address
2.3.1Italy presented as one geographical area
2.3.2Italy presented in macro-regions
2.3.3Italy presented in smaller regions
2.3.4Information about one geographical location
2.3.4.1Survey-based studies
2.3.4.2Corpus-based and ethnographic studies
2.4Conclusions
Chapter 3.Situational and interactional context of restaurant encounters
3.1Service encounters
3.1.1Interlocutors’ roles in service encounters
3.1.2Power dynamics in commercial service encounters
3.1.2.1Power of the customer
3.1.2.2Power of the service provider
3.1.2.3Collaboration between customer and service provider
3.1.3Balance between closeness and respectful distance
3.1.3.1Perception of imbalance between closeness and distance
3.2Address in Italian service encounters
3.2.1Survey-based studies
3.2.2Corpus-based studies
3.3Restaurant encounters
3.3.1Restaurant levels and language variation
3.3.2Restaurant levels and types in Italy
3.3.3Definition of restaurant levels in this study
3.4Conclusions
Chapter 4.Research design
4.1Preliminary considerations
4.2Research questions
4.3Research hypotheses
4.3.1Research sites and a detailed hypothesis on regional variation
4.3.1.1Emilia
4.3.1.2Umbria
4.3.1.3Lazio
4.3.1.4Salento
4.3.1.5Sardinia
4.3.2Summary of dialect resources
4.3.3Summary of expected regional variation
4.4Data collection: Overview
4.5Quantitative data collection and analysis
4.5.1Online questionnaire
4.5.2Quantitative sample
4.5.3Main items used for statistical analysis
4.5.4Procedure for statistical analysis
4.5.4.1Chi-square test
4.5.4.2Effect size measurement
4.5.4.3Collapsing categories
4.5.4.4Overview of all three pronouns
4.5.4.5Non-reciprocity
4.6Qualitative data collection
4.6.1Individual interviews
4.6.2Focus groups
4.6.3Direct observation
4.6.4Analysis of qualitative data
4.7Conclusions
Chapter 5.Overview of results
5.1Reported use of tu, voi, and lei
5.1.1Receiving tu, voi, and lei
5.1.2Giving tu, voi, and lei
5.1.3Reciprocity and non-reciprocity
5.2Overview of variables
5.2.1Age
5.2.2Gender
5.2.3Education and social class
5.2.4Geographical origin
5.2.5Geographical location: Size of town
5.2.6Style of waiter
5.2.7Level of restaurant
5.2.8Degree of acquaintance and regularity of contact
5.2.9Role of the waiter
5.2.10Type of area where the restaurant is located
5.2.11Accommodation principle
5.2.12Other factors
5.2.13The emotional variable
5.2.14Personal preferences
5.3Variables recognised as influential
5.4Conclusions
Chapter 6.Regional variation
6.1Receiving tu, voi, and lei in the five regions of Italy
6.1.1Receiving tu
6.1.2Receiving voi
6.1.3Receiving lei
6.1.4Overview of receiving tu, voi, and lei
6.2Giving tu, voi, and lei in the five regions of Italy
6.2.1Giving tu
6.2.2Giving voi
6.2.3Giving lei
6.2.4Overview of giving tu, voi, and lei
6.3Qualitative data and discussion
6.3.1Regional variation in reported use of voi
6.3.2Relative ranking of tu and lei linked to non-reciprocity
6.3.2.1Waiters addressing customers with tu in Lazio
6.3.2.2Customers addressing waiters with tu in Umbria
6.4Conclusions
Chapter 7.Age variation
7.1Age and reported receiving tu, voi, and lei
7.1.1Age and receiving tu
7.1.2Age and receiving voi
7.1.3Age and receiving lei
7.1.4Age and overview of receiving tu, voi, and lei
7.2Age and reported giving tu, voi, and lei
7.2.1Age and giving tu
7.2.2Age and giving voi
7.2.3Age and giving lei
7.2.4Age and overview of giving tu, voi, and lei
7.3Issues with statistical analysis of age variation
7.4Qualitative data and discussion
7.4.1Competing and evolving practices
7.4.2
Lei as offensive: Feeling old
7.4.3Threshold between tu and lei
7.4.4Age and reported non-reciprocal address
7.5Conclusions
Chapter 8.Restaurant levels
8.1Customers of high-level restaurants
8.1.1High-level restaurants and reported receiving tu, voi, and lei
8.1.2High-level restaurants and reported giving tu, voi, and lei
8.2Customers of low-level restaurants
8.2.1Low-level restaurants and reported receiving tu, voi, and lei
8.2.2Low-level restaurants and reported giving tu, voi, and lei
8.3Summary of statistical results
8.4Qualitative data and discussion
8.4.1Address practices reported in different levels of restaurants
8.4.1.1Combination of restaurant level and age
8.4.1.2Combination of restaurant level and accommodation principle
8.4.1.3Low-level restaurants and transition from V to T address
8.4.2Humour, dialect, swearwords, and flirting in low-level restaurants
8.4.3Consistency, mingling, and subjectivity of levels
8.5Conclusions
Chapter 9.Case study 1: Reported use of voi in Salento
9.1Literature review on singular voi
9.1.1Encyclopedias and grammars
9.1.2
Voi in southern Italy
9.1.3
Voi in northern and central Italy
9.1.4Social class and age: Some inconsistencies
9.1.5Summary of voi uses
9.2Quantitative data
9.2.1Address pronouns in Salento: Overview
9.2.2
Voi and age
9.2.3
Voi and gender
9.2.4
Voi and level of restaurant
9.3Qualitative data and discussion
9.3.1
Voi to address the elderly
9.3.2
Voi and distance: The perceived difference between voi and lei
9.3.3
Voi as a non-local practice
9.3.4
Voi as an involuntary practice
9.3.5Gender in Salento: Using voi as a protection?
9.4Conclusions
Chapter 10.Case study 2: Two dialect areas in Umbria
10.1Reported receiving tu, voi, and lei in two dialect areas of Umbria
10.2Reported giving tu, voi, and lei in two dialect areas of Umbria
10.3Qualitative data and discussion
10.3.1Affiliation of north-western varieties with Tuscany
10.3.2South-eastern Umbria: Between stigma and prestige
10.3.3Tourism and cultural values
10.4Conclusions
Chapter 11.Discussion
11.1Discussion of regional variation
11.1.1Comparison of hypotheses with findings on regional variation
11.1.2Sardinia: Preference for distance
11.1.3Salento: Complexity
11.1.4Emilia: Egalitarianism and importance of youthfulness
11.1.5Lazio: Preference for closeness by Roman waiters
11.1.6Umbria: Internal division and traditional non-reciprocity
11.1.6.1Discussion of statistical data
11.1.6.2Potential impact of stigma and underreporting of traditional non-reciprocity in SE Umbria
11.1.6.3North-western Umbria as a potential stronghold of traditional non-reciprocity
11.1.7Perceptions of northern, central, and southern address practices
11.1.8Exportability of address pronouns across regions and macro-regions
11.2Gender and flirting
11.3Power dynamics and roles
11.4Competing practices, avoidance strategies, and the ambiguity of voi
Chapter 12.Conclusions: Significance of this study and future directions
12.1Introducing Italian to regional pragmatic variation
12.2Italian regions as communities of address practice
12.3Future directions
References
Appendix A.Questionnaire: original Italian version
Appendix B.Questionnaire: English translation
Appendix C.Characteristics of restaurant levels and customers’ expectations
Index
