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- 1. Addressing Other People
- 2. How we address other people Comparisons across the countries in the project
- 3. Aims of this activity Comparative cross-cultural study of how we address other people. We aimed to see if how we address others makes a difference as to how we treat them Does it indicate respect ? Who has a title? Are titles a thing of the past? How do we address our friends ? What about nicknames ? Who decides on a nickname or other variation of a person’s name ? Can it be used as a bullying , derogatory term?
- 4. How do we address others? The “Good Behaviour” project partners wondered about how we address other people. A survey of the partner schools was conducted. Partner schools were asked about the way they address other people Link to Questionnaire How we address others.docx
- 5. We asked everybody to tell us how they address the following people Family members Mothers Fathers Grandparents Brother Sister Grandparents Members of the School Community Teachers School Principal Caretaker Secretary Other People (in Professions) Doctor Dentist Priest/Minister (Religion) Guard/Officer of Law Sports Coaches Referee Friends Close friends School Online
- 6. Questionnaire Instructions Add more people as necessary. Some of the possible terms are listed below First name or Christian name only e.g. John First name and surname e.g. John Murphy Surname only e.g. Murphy Title e.g. Mr. Mrs. Miss, Ms. Sir, Madam, Dr., Teacher, Father, Sister Title and Surname e.g. Mr. Murphy Other terms ?? Friendly nickname e.g. Johnny, Pet names e.g. Smiley Special names such as Mum, Dad, Uncle , Aunty, Granny, Grandad.
- 7. Fathers and other Family members The people who are most “familiar” (mother/father/friends) are addressed in a manner which is consistent across the board… more variation but still more or less the same..
- 8. Mama, Mami Mum Mummy Mum, Mummy Mother, Mum Mummy Ma, mama First name Here are some of the titles given to “mothers across the partnership
- 9. The people who command most respect on the list (doctor/policeman/priest) are addressed in an identical manner in all the countries… i.e. there is a single title for them, and it is used across the board.. The most noticeable differences seem to be in the middle ground.. With the teachers/principals.. Different constructions for the titles (title + first name)/(title on its own)/(headmaster)/(principal)/(Mr. Principal) etc.. Also, Principals/Teachers are the only people in authority on the list that are given nicknames (derogatory or otherwise)… possibly due to the level of interaction combined with uncertainty over the level of respect deemed necessary/required… Some general conclusions
- 10. Etiquette and Good Manners How people are addressed may vary from country to country Not knowing the etiquette in one country may be bad manners in another country. Specific greetings are used in each country Some people wave, others shake hands, bow , hug or kiss each other Some have no distinction between a friend or someone they meet for business Others have that distinction and use different titles or words for different “levels” of people
- 11. Joking and Teasing We usually associate teasing with being mean. Teasing in the form of joking can make us feel special and let us know we are loved. Grandparents, Parents, Aunts, Uncles or siblings might address children with a pet /friendly nickname. The difference between joking and teasing is not always easy to work out, because people’s personalities cause them to react differently. You need to decide how the comment makes you feel and how other people react when they hear the comment. Teasing makes people feel uncomfortable.
- 12. Pupils’ thoughts I think people should call me by my first name or my nickname It is better to call strangers by Mr. or Mrs.
- 13. Nicknames I would not call elderly neighbours by a nickname because I think it would be rude. I like when people call me by my first name Titles are good if you don’t know the person very well
- 14. Is giving a title a show of respect ? Sometimes “yes” and sometimes “no”. Depending on the person, the relationship and the context If a person like a doctor or dentist gives you their first name then it is ok to call them that. It is better to call strangers by a title Titles are good if you don’t know the person very well.
- 15. Children calling others by name or changing names to a nickname Does a nickname change a relationship ? If the nickname is a nice one or doesn’t cause offence, it may indicate closeness or friendliness. Some children like the familiarity of a nice nickname. A nickname which a person doesn’t like may cause offence. Who selects the nickname ? The nickname may be given at home as a pet name. It may be a friendly variation of a first name or a surname. A nickname may be based on some physical attribute of a person and may not be welcome.
- 16. Does it make a difference ? Does it make a difference to the person being addressed ? What about the expectations of the person addressing ? If you like the name it is good, if not it is bad Sometimes it can annoy me but I try to ignore it I know it is annoying so I do it to someone I don’t like.
- 17. Who decides ? Doctor We usually address our doctor as Dr. or Doctor Nurse Nurse These titles are expected by the people involved The situation dictates the title.
- 18. Nicknames Etymology is the study of the history of words and how their form and meaning have changed over time. A nickname is a descriptive name given in place of or in addition to the official name of a person, place or thing. A term of endearment is a word or phrase used to address and/or describe a person or animal for which the speaker feels love or affection.
- 19. What is a nickname? (1) An alternate name used to identify yourself in a chat room. (2) A shortcut for identifying a recipient in an e-mail address book
- 20. Pupils' nicknames for teachers are typically clandestine and serve a reference function rather than acting as terms of address. Despite being a ubiquitous feature of school life, they have attracted little research. This questionnaire study explores characteristics of the use of nicknames as recalled by a sample of 103 university students. Most nicknames expressed contempt or dislike, or attempted to get back or get even, or to put one over on the teacher. The majority of names drew upon physical characteristics of the target person. Although nicknames were derogatory in intent, aptness, wit and cleverness are seen as important characteristics; specifically, wit and aptness seem to have a moderating effect on the offensiveness of nicknames.