Hedge Markers: A Study of Politeness and Gender in Media Interaction

Abstract

The study aims at analyzing politeness and gender around the postponement of election discourse in the Rosi Talk Show (RTS). This qualitative study applies a pragmatic approach that investigates hedge markers (HM). Data were collected from the utterances of nine participants using basic tapping, free-flowing listening, and note-taking. The results indicated several findings. First, academics (males) represented hedge markers with assertive acts of expressing an opinion. However, the practitioner (female) tended to use directive acts of questioning. Second, academics and practitioners (males) often used hedges for quality maxims. While the practitioner (female) often used hedges with question tags. Third, the function of HM showed performative hedges as hesitation and meta-comments; particles to emphasize questions, soften act, and give flexibility; adverbial clauses to show cause-effect and conditions; hedges to quality maxims to show hesitation, raise objections, minimize criticism, and other corrections; hedges to relevance maxims as allegation and hesitation; and hedges in politeness as indifference, rejection, and avoidance.

Keywords

• gender
• hedge markers
• political issues
• rosi talk show
• speech act