The Pragmatics of Managing Negative Emotions in a Chinese Context

Drawing from rich, naturally occurring language data and synthesizing insights from the fields of interpersonal pragmatics and Chinese interpersonal communication, this book presents a compelling exploration of the management of negative emotions through an interpersonal pragmatics lens. The volume seeks to answer a number of key questions at the intersection of these two fields, including: how do negative interpersonal emotions manifest in the context of Chinese culture? What connections exist between emotions and interpersonal dynamics? In what ways are these emotions intertwined with the moral framework of Chinese society? How are such negative emotions effectively navigated and regulated? The analysis goes beyond mere examination of emotional expressions, delving into the cultural nuances that shape the understanding and handling of emotions. The book elucidates, for instance, how unmet ganqing expectations can trigger emotions like anger and sadness, and in turn, the employment of rapport management strategies in their mitigation. The book provides profound insights into a previously overlooked and little understood area of study, making it of interest to students and researchers in pragmatics, discourse analysis, communication studies, and psychotherapy.

Rong Lei, PhD in Linguistics, Associate Professor at the National Key Research Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies (GDUFS), P. R. China.

Contents List of FiguresList of TablesForewordAcknowledgements 1. Introduction 2. Towards an interpersonal pragmatics analysis of emotion management 3. Arguing For a ganqing approach to rapport (management) 4. Description of conceptual framework 5. Data and methods 6. Types of negative emotions 7. Managing negative emotions through rapport management strategies 8. Accounting for negative emotion management through rapport management strategies 9. Concluding chapter Index Index