Second Order Perturbations in the Randall-Sundrum Infinite Brane-World Model

We discuss the non-linear gravitational interactions in the Randall-Sundrum single brane model. If we naively write down the 4-dimensional effective action integrating over the fifth dimension with the aid of the decomposition with respect to eigen modes of 4-dimensional d'Alembertian, the Kaluza-Klein mode coupling seems to be ill-defined. We carefully analyze second order perturbations of the gravitational field induced on the 3-brane under the assumption of the static and axial-symmetric 5-dimensional metric. It is shown that there remains no pathological feature in the Kaluza-Klein mode coupling after the summation over all different mass modes. Furthermore, the leading Kaluza-Klein corrections are shown to be sufficiently suppressed in comparison with the leading order term which is obtained by the zero mode truncation. We confirm that the 4-dimensional Einstein gravity is approximately recovered on the 3-brane up to second order perturbations.Comment: 15 pages, 2 figures, comment and reference added, typos correcte

THE USE OF DIMINUTIVES IN EXPRESSING POLITENESS - MODERN GREEK VERSUS ENGLISH

This paper investigates the function of diminutives in English and in Greek. It is pointed out that Greek, as compared to English, shows greater flexibility in the formation of dimunitives and higher frequency of occurrence. Although the prototypical function of dimunitives is to indicate smallness, they are used extensively to indicate endearment and affection. The pragmatic functions of diminitives and the related lexical item liyo ‘a little’ are investigated in a variety of contexts. It is argued that, at least in Greek, such linguistic elements serve as markers of friendly, informal politeness. Furthermore, it is shown that the notion of imposition is assessed differently in the two societies, and that Brown and Levinson’s arguments to the effect that such elements minimize impositions are rather unconvincing. In Greek, impositions are minimized by other means; the use of diminutives mainly serves to establish or reaffirm a solidary framework for the interaction. The conclusion drawn from the differences observed is that they reveal different underlying cultural norms and values: a preference for distance and formality in English, versus a tendency for intimacy and informality in Greek

On the telephone again! differences in telephone behaviour: England versus greece

This article investigates differences in telephone behaviour in England and Greece in the light of Brown and Levinson’s model of interaction. It focusses upon differences both in verbal telephone call behaviour and in the attitudes and values attached to telephone usage. Explanations are placed within a broad framework of cultural differences in the preferred interactional strategies of the two societies. (Sociolinguistics, culturally determined variations in telephone behaviour, politeness phenomena, Greece versus England). © 1989, Cambridge University Press. All rights reserved

Conceptualizing politeness in Greek: Evidence from Twitter corpora

One of the tenets of the discursive (or postmodern) turn in politeness research is the importance of distinguishing between lay understandings of politeness and politeness as a theoretical construct. In this context, it has been argued that research should focus on lay people's understandings of politeness and impoliteness as they emerge in their everyday interactions. This emphasis has been implemented primarily with examples from the sequential development of real-life interactions and from assessments made by participants. However, in this way, more general conventions may be missed. Discursive researchers have also emphasized the merits of authentic data and various kinds of tailor-made and classic reference corpora have been used thus offering a broader basis to test theoretical issues. This paper attempts to contribute to this direction and investigate how politeness is conceptualized in Greek using a corpus consisting of short messages (19,500 tweets). © 2015 Elsevier B.V

The impact of globalisation on politeness and impoliteness

Globalisation tends to be perceived as one of the most powerful forces shaping today's world. In its simplest sense, globalisation refers to the acceleration of processes of interconnectedness in every aspect of social life. It is assumed that this will lead to the homogenisation of the world under the influence of the omnipresent American culture. However, since globalisation is a process rather than an end state, its consequences are contingent on various factors and are, therefore, uncertain and unpredictable.Discourse practices fall within the heart of this interconnectedness not least because it entails various kinds of interaction. In this paper, I would like to consider if and to what extent globalisation affects the expression of politeness and impoliteness. I will draw my evidence from the service sector, primarily in Greece and in England. More specifically, I will consider issues of formality and informality and terms of address, drawing from naturally occurring data and research findings. Such evidence may offer indications as to the kinds of changes that increased interconnectedness may produce. Without denying the homogenising power of globalisation, it is argued that greater interconnectedness does not necessarily mean cultural homogenisation but rather change arising out of various sources. © 2013 Elsevier B.V

Im/politeness and in/civility: A neglected relationship?

Recent approaches to im/politeness have emphasised the importance of lay understandings of politeness and suggested that they should constitute the locus of attention in politeness research. Pursuing this direction of research, the data for this paper come from an on-line article entitled “Greek impoliteness: 10 things that kill you in this city” and the comments it received. The analysis of the data shows that the understandings of impoliteness presented are not restricted to what researchers understand as impoliteness but reflect the rather broader concept of incivility. Drawing from various fields, the paper investigates understandings of in/civility and the relationship between im/politeness and in/civility and shows the conceptual affinity between the two concepts. Despite this affinity, their exact relationship and their points of overlap and divergence remain rather unclear. The paper argues for the significance of lay conceptualisations of im/politeness and suggests that in/civility and its relationship to im/politeness which have so far been neglected in im/politeness research deserve further in-depth exploration. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

Disagreements, face and politeness

Disagreement can be defined as the expression of a view that differs from that expressed by another speaker. Yet, in the relevant literature, disagreement is mostly seen as confrontational and should thus be mitigated or avoided. In CA terms, it is a " dispreferred" second. Similarly, in earlier politeness theories, disagreement is seen to verge on impoliteness. In contrast, recent research has shown that disagreement need not be seen only in negative terms, that is, it may not necessarily result in conflict and impoliteness, but can be a sign of intimacy and sociability and may not destroy but rather strengthen interlocutors' relationships.This paper suggests that disagreements are complex, multidirectional and multifunctional acts, which prevent straightforward labelling such as face-threatening/enhancing, (dis)preferred or (im)polite acts. There is inter- and intra-cultural variation depending on various contextual parameters. Significantly, interlocutors have personal traits and relational histories that predispose them to particular strategies and specific evaluations. The claim being disputed in any current interaction may have roots not just in previous turns of the same interaction but also in previous interactions and this should be taken into account when analysing discourse. © 2012 Elsevier B.V