What is it about?
Public apologies are so prevalent in our social lives that they have become a subject of scholarly investigation all over the globe. The present study, which involves coding, frequency counting, and qualitative analysis, examines the strategic aspects of 16 public apologies issued to Filipino apologizees. The results of our analysis indicate that apologizers often choose varied knowledge types and draw upon presuppositions to strategically omit details that can negatively influence their credibility and the reception of their apology. More specifically, apologizers use the audience’s presuppositions to avoid presenting common knowledge of the offense that may incriminate them further; they also omit the mention of future action that may hold them more accountable for their offenses. Our present analysis bolsters the view that although the sincerity of public apologies cannot be exactly measured, they are still performed as part of image repair and management of interpersonal relationships.
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Why is it important?
Our present analysis bolsters the view that although the sincerity of public apologies cannot be exactly measured, they are still performed as part of image repair and management of interpersonal relationships.
Perspectives
This is a must-read paper as the speech act of apology is a daily phenomenon. We need to know the underlying principles and motivations in the execution of this act.
Leah Gustilo
De la Salle University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Knowledge types and presuppositions, Pragmatics Quarterly Publication of the International Pragmatics Association (IPrA), August 2021, John Benjamins,
DOI: 10.1075/prag.20043.nav.
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