How to grapple with the green-eyed monster: A discursive approach to jealousy management in Chinese TV dramas

Abstract

Existing studies stop short of discussing how jealousy can be managed in Chinese-speaking contexts by adopting a discursive approach. This paper aims to examine how jealousy management is interactionally realized in Chinese-speaking contexts, how jealousy management contributes to (dis)harmonious interpersonal rapport management in Chinese scenarios, and how rapport-oriented jealousy management intersects with face/(im)politeness toward responses elicited by jealousy. Discourse analysis indicates that jealousy management, as a complex interactional practice, succeeds in achieving harmonious interpersonal relations through inclusion-oriented discourse (e.g., silence and topic-shift), and control-oriented discourse (e.g., self-deprecation and others-approbation), whereas affection-oriented discourse (e.g., induction and counterattack) leads to disharmonious interpersonal relations. We propose that the various interactional practices that are undertaken by interlocutors when managing jealousy reflect that politeness is closely linked to jealousy, interpersonal behavior, and (dis)harmony orientation. It is hoped that this study will demonstrate how, in Chinese communication contexts, jealousy management has implications for interpersonal communication.