Culture, Context, and Concerns about Face: Synergistic Insights from Pragmatics and Social Psychology

Abstract

This article explores the interconnections between culture, context, and language, with a special focus on face. Research into face has taken place in various fields and here we draw on insights from different disciplinary perspectives, notably linguistics and social psychology, to address the following questions: (1) To what extent can the various categorizations of face be linked with people’s individual-level values? (2) How do culture-level values interplay with context and language in affecting face sensitivities? The data for our study involved interactions between government officials during a Chinese delegation visit to the USA in which face concerns were prominent. Mixed support is found for existing theorizing and the paper ends by calling for more interdisciplinary research to help unpack the complex mix of interconnected factors.