Louise Mullany’s new book Polite is an interesting consideration of where concepts and language about politeness fit within our daily lives and our culture
Louise Mullany. Photo: Steve Upcraft, University of Nottingham
Whenever Louise Mullany tells people she is a politeness researcher, they assume that she must hate swearing and is probably some sort of Etiquette Nazi. She — no doubt politely — explains that they have misunderstood.
The professor of sociolinguistics at the University of Nottingham is a pioneer of politeness studies. Polite: The Art of Communication at Home, at Work and in Public, based on more than 20 years of research, is no guide to good manners. Rather, this is a book about what is perceived as polite and why, and how politeness is manifested in a range of environments.
