Table 4.1 The Elicitation Prompts Classification of Situations
Prompt Participants Situations Request Social distance
Impositi on
Power
1 Mother-
child Informal
Service low low unequal
2 Close
friends Informal
Service low low equal
3 Sister- brother
Informal Service
low low equal 4 Chief-
youth Formal Service high low
unequal 5
Close friends
Informal Service
low low equal 6 Casual
friends Informal Service low
low relatively equal
7 Casual friends
Informal Service
low low relatively equal
8 Father- child
Informal Service low high unequal
9 Close
friends Informal
Service low low equal
10 Sister- brother
Informal Service
low low equal
4.1 Responses to prompt 1
The first prompt provides the participants an informal situation and H has unequal power and low social distance. Bateson and Mead in Scollon and Scollon
1983 feel that the family is a communicative system of solidarity relations. So, this situation included in solidarity politeness. Solidarity politeness establishes
camaraderie and solidarity between the speakers Scollon and Scollon, 1983: 169. The refusal strategies that should be used to respond the situation are inquiry to third
party, direct refusal, token agreement, criticism, positive opinion, promise of future acceptance, and promise to comply.
In this situation four male participants use reason explanation to respond prompt one. It can be seen by the phrase “I have to do …” and “I have an
appointment …” in their responses. The use of expression “ I have to do …” indicates
that they tried to give explanations or reasons why they could not accept the order request given by the interlocutor. The participants tried to be truthful by stating their
reasons that they could not do the request because they have had a promise or other plans. Differ from the third participant, he tends to use positive opinion by using
expression “I’d be glad to …” . By giving that respond, he wants to show that he actually interested to do the request from the interlocutor. He also says something
nice in order to show that he is aware to the positive want of the interlocutor. In this situation three female participants use reason explanation to respond
the prompt. Similar to the strategy that mostly used by male participants above, the female participants also use expression, “I have something to do …” and two other
participants choose positive opinion use expression “Actually I would like to do …” to respond the prompt one. In this case, the positive opinion is more focus to express
the interest of the subjects to the request. Moreover, this strategy is also an attempt to make the refusal acceptable to the interlocutors.
4.2 Responses to prompt 2
