The Role of Gender and Social Power in the Use of Advice-giving Strategies in Algerian Arabic
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes.v25i1.690Keywords:
advice-giving strategies, Algerian Arabic, cross-cultural communication, gender, social power, speech act theoryAbstract
This study explores the influence of gender and social status on advice-giving strategies in Algerian Arabic. The study involved 50 native Algerian Arabic speakers (25 males and 25 females) who completed a Discourse Completion Task. This task, designed to measure the gender and social status variables, presented three types of advice-giving situations: high-to-low, low-to-high, and equal social power. Hinkel’s (1997) taxonomy was used to categorize advice-giving strategies as direct, hedged, or indirect. The study's key finding was that male and female Algerians tend to give direct advice, particularly imperatives, regardless of the advisee’s social status. This suggests that Algerians perceive advice-giving as a cooperative and supportive act that does not require mitigation or implication. Importantly, these findings have practical implications. They can help individuals and organizations avoid cross-cultural misunderstandings with Algerians. In cultures where advice-giving may be perceived as threatening one’s freedom of action, logical thinking ability, and world knowledge, Algerians may be misunderstood as impolite and overly assertive despite their well-intentioned advice.
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Accepted 2024-06-23
Published 2024-06-23
