Face (self image)

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Face refers to someone's public self image.

The concept of face as the presentation of the self which they would like to project for others was researched by Erving Goffman, and is used in sociolinguistics, particularly politeness theory.

The concept comes from everyday expressions, such as 'losing face', when one is embarrassed or humiliated, and 'saving face', referring to an action or speech act which would not be detrimental to the self or someone else's persona.

Brown and Levinson (1987) discuss two types of face:

• Positive face is the desire for appreciation and approval by others
• Negative face is the desire not to be imposed on by others.

[edit] See also

• Face (social concept)
• Face saving

[edit] References

• Brown, P. and Levinson, S. (1987) Politeness: Some Universals in Language. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-31355-4
• Goffman, E. (1959) The Presentation of Self in Everyday Life. Doubleday: Garden City, New York, 1959.
• Mesthrie, R., Swann, J., Deumert, A., Leap, W.L. (2000) Introducing Sociolinguistics. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-0773-0
• Talbot, Mary M., Karen Atkinson & David Atkinson (2003) Language and Power in the Modern World. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-1538-5