This paper studies the pragmatic function of mitigation in the context of a stigmatized disease, such as the HIV/AIDS infection.1 The function of mitigation is analysed by applying the theoretical frameworks of Fraser (1980, 1990) and Caffi (1999). By means of the close-reading technique and quantitative procedures, it has been possible to observe that mitigation is the most common verbal behaviour used in the 34 interviews between physicians and their seropositive patients, collected in a public hospital in Uruguay. By illustrating the use of mitigation in a particular interview, it is argued that mitigation not only functions as a ‘disqualification’ strategy (Caffi 1999) but also that there is a fine line between mitigation and deception. The traditional association between politeness and mitigation (Fraser 1980) is called into question. In the context of an infectious disease that jeopardizes public health, mitigation and politeness are seen in a antagonistic rather than complementary relationship.
2023. Cognitive-pragmatic functions of mitigation in therapeutic conversations emphasizing rapport management. Frontiers in Psychology 14
Flores-Ferrán, Nydia
2010. An examination of mitigation strategies used in Spanish psychotherapeutic discourse. Journal of Pragmatics 42:7 ► pp. 1964 ff.
Locher, Miriam A. & Stephanie Schnurr
2017. (Im)politeness in Health Settings. In The Palgrave Handbook of Linguistic (Im)politeness, ► pp. 689 ff.
Martinovski, Bilyana
2006. A framework for the analysis of mitigation in courts: Toward a theory of mitigation. Journal of Pragmatics 38:12 ► pp. 2065 ff.
Mullany, Louise
2009. Introduction: Applying politeness research to health care communication. Journal of Politeness Research. Language, Behaviour, Culture 5:1 ► pp. 1 ff.
Reiter, Rosina Marquez
2006. Interactional Closeness in Service Calls to a Montevidean Carer Service Company. Research on Language & Social Interaction 39:1 ► pp. 7 ff.
Reiter, Rosina Márquez
2005. Complaint calls to a caregiver service company: The case of desahogo. Intercultural Pragmatics 2:4
Watermeyer, Jennifer
2011. “Now here come the pills that are going to save your life”: pharmacists' discussions of antiretroviral drugs in a context of life and death. AIDS Care 23:7 ► pp. 807 ff.
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