The Impact of Culture and Gender on Impoliteness Strategies in Jordanian and American TV Sitcoms

Abstract

Several studies examined the effect of gender, culture and context on the use of impoliteness strategies. The present study examined the gender and cultural differences and similarities in the language used in Jordanian and American TV sitcoms. The researchers analysed 30 episodes from the Jordanian TV sitcom “dʒaltˤah/ جلطة/season 1” and 20 episodes from the American TV sitcom “The Big Bang Theory/season 12”, which make a total of about 400 minutes from each sitcom. The findings of the study indicate that male characters employed impoliteness strategies more than female characters in both cultures. It was also found that Jordanian characters utilized more impoliteness strategies than the American characters. Jordanian males and females differed significantly in using impoliteness strategies; however, the differences between American males and females were not significant.