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Meaningless Greetings: As a Matter of Phatic
Does your Starbucks barista really care when she asks, "Hi, how are you today?"
Do you really mean it when you say, "I'm fine." ?
In this episode, Bronwen explores sidewalk psychology and the unwritten rules of meaningless conversation, also known as "phatic expressions." These seemingly innocuous strings of words make our social interactions easier, but with their wide variation across cultures, generations, and societies worldwide, they can also become points of contention.
If you (like many others) think that the French are rude, you may just not understand “bonjour culture." Interrupting is not a universally impolite action, and some people consider, “No problem,” a dismissive statement. You’ll also hear about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our interactions, how computer scientists are using these rules of phatic communication to program robots with more human qualities, and how deviating from the script of polite exchanges can unravel the constructs of our social reality.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Sidewalk psychology differs from state to state, and country and country.
- Adjusting to a move away from Southern hospitality.
- Possible factors which influence what is known as the “Seattle Freeze.”
- How Nordic communities view small talk.
- The experience of saying goodbye in the Midwest.
- Power that lies in eye-contact, or a lack thereof.
- What we can quickly learn from following the unwritten rule of greeting.
- The definition of phatic expression.
- Examples of phatic expressions which we commonly use.
- Benefits of phatic expressions.
- How rules around phatic expressions have changed over time.
- Making use of phatic expressions through social media.
- What social reality is, and how it is upheld by phatic expressions.
- Types of phatic expressions that exist in other cultures.
- Ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our use of phatic expressions.
- The artifice of hiring people as greeters.
- Other unwritten rules which govern our interactions with people, and how these are being transferred to robots.
LINKS
The Bonjour Effect
FOLLOW THEM'S THE RULES:
|| WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER ||
View all episodes
By Bronwen Clark
Does your Starbucks barista really care when she asks, "Hi, how are you today?"
Do you really mean it when you say, "I'm fine." ?
In this episode, Bronwen explores sidewalk psychology and the unwritten rules of meaningless conversation, also known as "phatic expressions." These seemingly innocuous strings of words make our social interactions easier, but with their wide variation across cultures, generations, and societies worldwide, they can also become points of contention.
If you (like many others) think that the French are rude, you may just not understand “bonjour culture." Interrupting is not a universally impolite action, and some people consider, “No problem,” a dismissive statement. You’ll also hear about the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on our interactions, how computer scientists are using these rules of phatic communication to program robots with more human qualities, and how deviating from the script of polite exchanges can unravel the constructs of our social reality.
Key Points From This Episode:
- Sidewalk psychology differs from state to state, and country and country.
- Adjusting to a move away from Southern hospitality.
- Possible factors which influence what is known as the “Seattle Freeze.”
- How Nordic communities view small talk.
- The experience of saying goodbye in the Midwest.
- Power that lies in eye-contact, or a lack thereof.
- What we can quickly learn from following the unwritten rule of greeting.
- The definition of phatic expression.
- Examples of phatic expressions which we commonly use.
- Benefits of phatic expressions.
- How rules around phatic expressions have changed over time.
- Making use of phatic expressions through social media.
- What social reality is, and how it is upheld by phatic expressions.
- Types of phatic expressions that exist in other cultures.
- Ways that the COVID-19 pandemic has altered our use of phatic expressions.
- The artifice of hiring people as greeters.
- Other unwritten rules which govern our interactions with people, and how these are being transferred to robots.
LINKS
The Bonjour Effect
FOLLOW THEM'S THE RULES:
|| WEBSITE || INSTAGRAM || FACEBOOK || TWITTER ||