The role of the Japanese masu form in caregiver-child conversation

Abstract

Using naturally occurring data, this paper examines in detail the masu form used by caregivers and children in interaction at home. The following questions are addressed: (i) Are addressee honorifics used in family conversation as a marker of politeness?; (ii) If not, what social meanings do they index in family conversation?; and (iii) What effects can we speculate that caregivers' use of addressee honorifics has on the socialization of children? The findings based on qualitative and quantitative analysis of the data show that the social meaning of the addressee honorifics used in interactions between caregivers and children is not that of politeness but that of presentation of public self. It is suggested that the children's understanding of the masu form as a marker of presentation of public self is crucial in interpreting this form as a marker of polite speech later in their life. The paper speculates that the use of the masu form in family conversation socializes children into the culturally important concept of omote ‘front’ as well as attention to form.