Profanity: Crossing Borderzones of Literacy (PAB2b, Technical Communications and Digital Rhetoric: Major Questions, ODU EGL 810)

Annotated Bibliography:

Jay, Timoty and Janschewitz, Kristin. “The pragmatics of swearing.” Journal of Politeness Research. Language, Behaviour, Culture. Volume 4, Issue 2, Pages 267–288. 2008 August. Accessed 2016 September 28. DOI: 10.1515/JPLR.2008.013

Also see:

Jay, Timothy1, and Kristin Janschewitz. "Filling The Emotion Gap In Linguistic Theory:  Commentary On Potts' Expressive Dimension." Theoretical Linguistics 33.2 (2007): 215-221. Humanities Source. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Introduction

The Skerrett and Bomer article spoke of how students self-emerge in “unofficial worlds” and that out-of-school literacies cross personal “borderzones” spanning each of our life experiences regardless of “age, gender, [or] status” (Skerret 1257). They quote Renato Rosaldo about “disparate worlds […over] a range of relationships, from intimacy to collegiality and friendship to enmity” (Sekerrett 1257). That reminded me of reading I came across over the summer about the dissonance of communications, the wedge of intentional sarcasm, and a loss of civility across the media.  P.M. Forni, a professor of Italian and literature at John Hopkins, set aside a complete chapter to civility in our culture include (qtd by Watson):

• The obvious talking too loudly
• Holding inappropriate conversations in public
• Discriminating in an employment situation
• Rudely interrupting conversations
• Texting while driving
• Disturbing live performances
• Treating service providers as inferiors
• Failing to say please or thank you
• Checking your cell phone during live performances
• Using technology in public
• Using foul language in public

Here I consider the last of these offenses to social, cultural, and rhetorical civil discourse: foul language.  In their article, “The pragmatics of swearing,” Jay and Janschewitz offer statistical research showing that, for college aged respondents, accepting profanity should be “variable, dependent on speaker-listener relationship, social-physical context, [gender,] and particular word used.”

Leaders Leading with Profanity

Philippine President Duterte

The uncivil tongue of public insult has been a political staple globally in the early 21^st century, reaching a crescendo in the 2016 presidential contest. Donald Trump kicked off his candidacy in June  of 2015 with invective aimed at fellow Republicans; since then he has tweeted “insults at presidential candidates, journalists, news organizations, nations, a Neil Young song and even a lectern in the Oval Office” (Lee).[1] Meanwhile, in the Philippines, newly-elected President Rodrigo Duterte shows that the strikingly candid and aggressive tone of politics is worldwide. In the past few months, Philippines he openly announced that he doesn’t “care about human rights.” He has given EU leaders the finger, called President Obama a “son-of-a-whore,” labeled U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry as “crazy,” blocked completion of a U.S.-China treaty (by offending China), and amped up a “war on drugs” at home in which his forces have killed more than 3,500 suspected drug dealers (all without due process). In open press conferences, he greets critics with a simple and succinct “F-ck you” (Time).

Emily Post Weeps

A few short years ago, when the Jay and Janschewitz study was completed, they believed that we can learn “when, and with whom swearing is appropriate.” That borderzone is wall that—like the Berlin Wall—has been torn down. Ironically, while a leading political candidate for the U.S. presidency proposes building of  physical walls, Mr. Trump has been most effective in tearing down the social, cultural, and rhetorical walls of civil discourse.

Bibliography

Lee, Jasmine, and Quealy, Kevin. “The 258 People, Places and Things Donald Trump Has Insulted on Twitter: A Complete List.” The New York Times: The Upshot. 2016 August 22. Accessed 2016 September 24. http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/01/28/upshot/donald-trump-twitter-insults.html?_r=0

Jay, Timothy1, and Kristin Janschewitz. "Filling The Emotion Gap In Linguistic Theory:  Commentary On Potts' Expressive Dimension." Theoretical Linguistics 33.2 (2007): 215-221. Humanities Source. Web. 29 Sept. 2016.

Jay, Timoty and Janschewitz, Kristin. “The pragmatics of swearing.” Journal of Politeness Research. Language, Behaviour, Culture. Volume 4, Issue 2, Pages 267–288. 2008 August. Accessed 2016 September 28. DOI: 10.1515/JPLR.2008.013

Korhonen, T. (2012). Toward a rhetoric of insult. Rhetorica, 30 (3), 334-337,340. Retrieved from http://hs1.farmingdale.edu:2177/docview/1034609609?accountid=8066

Skerrett, Allison and Bomer, Randy. “Borderzones in Adolescents’ Literacy Practices: Connecting Out-of-School Literacies to the Reading Curriculum.” Urban Education. 2011 March 10. Accessed 2016 September 24. DOI: 10.1177/0042085911398920. http://uex.sagepub.com/content/46/6/1256

Time Staff. “Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte Launches Profanity-Laden Tirade at the E.U.” Time Magazine. 2016 September 21. Accessed 2016 September 28. http://time.com/4502332/rodrigo-duterte-eu-profanity-philippines-drugs/

Watson, Elwood. “Are Civility and Good Manners Waning?” Diverse Issues in Higher Eduction, 2014 October 28. Accessed 2016 September 24. http://diverseeducation.com/article/67631/

 Footnote

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[1] While considering politically-charged rhetoric, Conley gives us a reason for Aphasia being overlooked by history when Conley discusses Cicero “as a master of invective” (Korhonen 334).