Pragmatics of Audiovisual Text: Dynamics of Establishing Authority in Doctor-Patient Relationship in TV Series “In Treatment”

Abstract

In natural communication speakers and hearers unconsciously follow some rules that are scientifically investigated by linguistic pragmatics. Even though dialogues in films are created, they mirror natural conversations. Consequently, research methods of linguistic pragmatics are equally beneficial for the investigation of audiovisual texts. Combining theoretical approaches of politeness, implicatures, discourse analysis and multimodality, the study seeks to disclose the process of establishing an authority in a doctor-patient relationship. As a research material, an episode from an American TV Series In Treatment created by Rodrigo Garcia was selected. Both verbal and non-verbal channels were essential for the dynamics in switching between negative and positive politeness. Non-verbal information was also vital for implicatures, when the participants were trying to identify who is in charge and establish the authority relationship.

Keywords

• interpersonal relationship
• implicature
• face-saving act
• face-threatening act
• multimodal discourse analysis