Where the results of other authors have been used, this has been duly acknowledged. Furthermore, the thesis investigates which of the existing Western/non-Western models of politeness are relevant for describing the politeness phenomena in the target society.
IMPORTANT ASPECTS OF ISIHLONIPHO .1 What does 'hlonipha' mean
- The functions of isiHlonipho
- Agents and referents of the custom
- Effects of modernisation
- Core vocabulary
One can then argue that an open protest against and rejection of isiHlonipho is unacceptable in Zulu culture. The development of hlonipha must be seen in the context of urbanization in the various parts of southern Africa (Dewar, Todes and Watson, 1982).
DEFINITION OF POLITENESS
For the purpose of this study I will adopt the definition of politeness as given by Ide. Second, what is the relationship between isiHlonipho and the expression of politeness among LI speakers of is/Zulu.
MODELS OF POLITENESS
- The social norm model
- The conversational-contract model
- Brown and Levinson's theory
- Critique of Brown and Levinson's theory
- Levels of directness
- The notion of the universality of face
- The Zulu notion of politeness
Therefore, these findings cast doubt on the universality of Brown and Levinson's model, particularly with regard to its relevance to politeness phenomena in Zulu culture. However, De Kadt (1998) found that Brown and Levinson's construct of negative face (ie, the speaker's desire not to impose himself) was.
DEBATES AROUND GENDER AND LANGUAGE
- Deficit, dominance, and difference models
- Gender and identity
- Socialisation
- Societal norms
Brown and Levinson found that in Tenejapan society women were generally more polite than men. The dimensions of social distance and status in the context of isiHlonipho will be further explored in my study of isiZxAu speaking communities.
GENDER AND POLITENESS
Furthermore, the femininity of the women is seen to dominate their individuality and also requires them to act interactively as subservient to men. It is expected that this special focus on isiHlonipho will enrich our understanding of the contemporary status of the politeness strategies of w/'Zulu LI.
CONCLUSION
To summarize: in the study of language and gender, the African experience remains unexplored. To explore this issue in the African context, a study of men's and women's use of isiHlonipho as well as ways in which gender identities are constructed will be explored. In the next chapter, I present the methodology that will be used in an attempt to answer these key questions.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The data collection methods used in this study are interviews, discourse completion task (DCT) questionnaires and non-participant observation. Two factors inspired the choice of this data collection format: first, the need to collect production and perception data, and second, the multimethod principle. In the production data category, non-participant observation was used; for the second category of perceptual data, discourse completion task questionnaires and interviews were used.
DATA COLLECTION METHODS
Non-Participatory Observation
At the same time, I wanted to collect data on the production of isiHlonipho by men and women, and the perception of isiHlonipho, also by men and women. During the period of observation, my attention was focused on the possible gendered nature of linguistic and non-linguistic strategies of both men and women from urban and rural areas. The data collected during this phase revealed major differences (which will be discussed in the next chapter) in both linguistic and non-linguistic politeness strategies of Is/Zulu-speaking women and men from urban and rural areas in KwaZulu-Natal .
INTERVIEWS .1 Introduction
Interviewing procedure
The eight interviewees of the first phase of the research, all in the age group of 60+ (four males and four females), were selected from different residential areas (urban and rural) and came from different backgrounds, viz. However, the problem started when some of the people I had chosen got sick or lost their relatives. Another challenge was the geographical location of some of the houses in the rural area.
QUESTIONNAIRES: DISCOURSE COMPLETION TASKS
DCTs: Set One: Females from urban and rural areas
The specific situations in the DCTs reflected potential real-life events within the target community. Participants were presented with situations that were likely to arise in the daily interactions of different environments. Respondents were also told to complete the DCTs individually and not to discuss their answers with each other.
DCTs: Set Two: Males from urban and rural areas
All fifteen of these situations focused on linguistic and non-linguistic aspects of isiHlonipho. They (participants) were then expected to read each situation in the DCT and respond in the space provided. A total of 20 DCTs were collected, consisting of 10 women from urban areas and 10 women from rural areas.
INTRODUCTION
DISCUSSION .1 Observation
Observation of traditional ceremony "Umembeso"
In addition to these gifts, the future husband is also expected to buy clothes for the future wife. During the ceremony I attended in Mdumezulu, after all the gifts had been handed over to the wife-to-be's family, the bride-to-be was dressed by the members of the husband-to-be's family and made to sit on the grass mat. After all members of the bride-to-be's family had received their gifts, the mother-in-law gave her speech.
Observation of households (Urban and Rural)
The following observations were made in the urban area: i) The father does not have his dishes (except in one family where the wife explained that it was a birthday present for her husband and so he happened to have his dishes). ii). In Zulu culture, women know or are informed when they marry about the behavior expected of them in different contexts. But interesting was my discovery that in the urban area where the woman is not employed, the conversation is dominated by men.
Interviews with elders .1 Religious perspective
- Cultural Perspective
Related to the above is the importance that Zulu people attach to maintaining the image of the family. Interviewees also unanimously agreed on the need to maintain face in the wider community. These interviews were conducted in isiZulu as most interviewees felt comfortable with their native language.
Interviews with women (Urban and Rural Areas)
Of the ten interviewees from the urban area, only two described isiHlonipho as a language of respect used by married women. The aim of isiHlonipho, according to 90% of the women (from the rural area), is to ensure that:. i). What is significant to note from the above tables is that women from rural areas feel that the degree of utilization of isiHlonipho by women as compared to men is very high, on the other hand, women from urban areas feel that it is high is.
INTERVIEWS WITH MEN (Urban and Rural areas)
Urban men once again emphasize that it (isiHIonipho) should not be used in the same way as in the past when women had to avoid numerous names. Using isiHlonipho in rural areas is a challenge for men whose wives have lived in the city all their lives and have never been exposed to this type of life. Urban men said that although their wives do not practice isiHlonipho in the same way as rural women, they still respect them as their husbands.
Analysis of data from discourse completion tasks questionnaires (DCTs)
- Female Responses to the DCTs: Set One
- Male Responses to the DCTs: Set Two
- Conclusion
They were of the opinion that if your husband has strong rural ties, you must observe the restrictions imposed on you, especially those related to the ancestors, because they are believed to have power over what happens in the family. One man justified it by saying that the father, as the head of the family, should be given more respect than the mother. In urban areas, men generally do not bother to hlonipha the name of mother-in-law.
UNDERSTANDING OF ISIHLONIPHO
In this chapter the focus is on finding answers to the questions posed in chapter one. An attempt is made to correlate perspectives on isiHlonipho offered by men and women from both urban and rural areas in which the study was conducted. She states that for hlonipha to survive the family unit (in its wider context) the stability of the homestead must remain entrenched.
THE VALUE PLACED ON ISIHLONIPHO BY MEN AND WOMEN IN THE TARGET COMMUNITY
Therefore, according to the interviewees, women seem to be the ones who value isiHlonipho and who consequently use it more than men. For example, reference was made to the double life led by women whose in-laws still live in rural areas. The declining relevance of isiHlonipho in some people's lives due to the influence of competing frameworks, especially Christianity (as alluded to by one of the interviewees) was also noted.
THEORIES OF POLITENESS AND THE TARGET COMMUNITY
These findings also correspond with those of De Kadt in a study of Zulu culture (1998). Here the term 'individual face' refers to the individual's desire to have his/her behavior and actions approved by others. From the interviewees' answers, I also conclude that the women's language of respect, that is, isiHlonipho, operates in different dimensions for different social groups;
LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY
Finally, Johnstone raises the question of whether a better researcher is one who is a member of the group being studied. My role as an insider was beneficial to the study in that I was able to probe and ask questions that would lead to eliciting the required responses without making the respondent uncomfortable. On the other hand, being an insider may have been a limitation in the sense that at times it may have prevented me from maintaining the critical and analytical distance necessary to abstract and generalize about the study group (Johnstone, 2000).
SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER RESEARCH
Some urban women who participated in the study seemed to agree with their transition from traditional Zulu femininity. Again, the potential societal consequences of such shifts make it imperative that we learn more about them. An investigation could be undertaken into the changes in the role of Zulu married women and the impact this may have on their linguistic and non-linguistic behaviour. It is hoped that insights from this research will inform the isiZulu LI-speaking community about the current state of isiHlonipho in the community.
APPENDICES
- INTERVIEW SCHEDULE: ELDERS FROM THE RURAL AND URBAN AREAS (AGE: 60+)
- INTERVIEW SCHEDULE: WOMEN FROM URBAN AND RURAL AREAS: (30-49 AGE GROUP)
- INTERVIEW SCHEDULE: MEN FROM URBAN AND RURAL AREAS: (30-49 AGE GROUP)
- QUESTIONNAIRE: DISCOURSE COMPLETION TASKS NAME: (Optional)
- DISCOURSE COMPLETION TASKS NAME: (Optional)
Do you think people in cities and rural areas still practice isiHlonipho in the same way? Do you think people in cities and rural areas still practice isiHlonipho in the same way? Your father-in-law's name is Maqanda (egg). Do you use this expression in your speech?
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Pragmatics and Language Education, 3. Urbana: Department of English as an International Language, University of Illinois. The association of deference with linguistic form International Journal of the Sociology of Language of Language. International Journal of the Sociology of Language Gender Politeness: Identities of Zulu Speakers at the University of Natal, Durban.
