(Im)politeness and Moral Order in Online Interactions

“Given the growing importance of internet pragmatics, this volume on the moral basis of (im)politeness in online interactions is an excellent and timely addition to existing research. Its high quality contributions are proof of the vibrancy of the field.”

“This timely volume contains three hot areas – the moral order, (im)politeness and internet-mediated interactions – wrapped in one! It reveals the complex interplay amongst these areas, and lights the pathways of future avenues of research. Thought-provoking.”

“Many im/politeness researchers have recently turned their attention to the evaluative nature of im/politeness, the source of which is to be found within moral order. This has triggered extensive research interest into the complex relationship between im/politeness and morality or moral order. The collection of articles (Im)politeness and Moral Order in Online Interactions brings together excellent analyses of this relationship in a number of online contexts and advances our understanding of this multifaceted relationship. The authors show lucidly how presumably inappropriate behaviour elicits situated moral judgements. Such judgements may at times even legitimate impoliteness when viewed as a means of restoring societal moral order and can contribute to sociality as it bonds like-minded people. These timely studies are an essential reading for scholars, researchers and advanced students interested in gaining further insights into the intricate link between (im)politeness and moral order.”

“The collection of articles makes a valuable contribution to the study of the pragmatics of DMC by drawing attention to the link between (im)politeness and notions of morality in interaction online, placing (im)politeness research within the broader context of issues of evaluation and ethical considerations. In doing so, it adds to research that suggests that online spaces are arenas where norms are constantly (re-)negotiated, transgressed and upheld. It also points out the need for further studies that explore the role of (im)politeness in creating social bonds online based on shared understandings of normative behaviour. The volume is thus of interest to researchers whose work intersects with issues in the pragmatics of DMC such as face work, norms of appropriateness and the role of (im)politeness in the construction of online identities, both group and individual. It is also potentially of relevance for readers whose interests lie in aspects of self-presentation online, digital media ethics and digital literacies, in which considerations of (in)appropriate and (im)polite behaviour play a key role.”