Eralingua : Jurnal Pendidikan Bahasa Asing dan Sastra
VOL 10, NO 1 (2026): ERALINGUA (Issue in Progress)

Politeness, Power, and Minority Leadership: A Pragmatic Analysis of Ji-Yoon Kim in The Chair

Reza Anggriyashati Adara (Universitas Islam 45 Bekasi)
Tiara Haya’anisa Putri Firdaus (Universitas Islam 45 Bekasi)
Welliam Hamer (Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
Ledy Nur Lely (Universitas Sultan Ageng Tirtayasa)
Nur Azmi Rohimajaya (Universitas Mathla'
ul Anwar Banten)



Article Info

Publish Date
26 Mar 2026

Abstract

This study analyzes the politeness strategies employed by the main character, Ji-Yoon Kim, in the Netflix series The Chair using Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness theory. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, combining systematic frequency counting with contextual qualitative interpretation to examine how the character constructs social and professional relationships through language. Data were drawn from dialogue transcriptions across six episodes and analyzed through a structured content analysis procedure involving the identification, classification, and interpretation of politeness strategies. The findings reveal 78 instances of politeness strategies: 23 bald-on-record (29.49%), 30 positive politeness (38.46%), 21 negative politeness (26.92%), and 4 off-record (5.13%). Positive politeness emerges as the most dominant strategy, indicating Kim’s orientation toward solidarity-building and relational maintenance within academic and interpersonal contexts. The findings suggest that politeness functions not merely as etiquette but as a strategic communicative resource for negotiating leadership, authority, and identity in institutional settings. By examining politeness in a contemporary media narrative, this study contributes to pragmatic research on leadership discourse and identity performance in professional communication.

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Journal Info

Abbrev

eralingua

Publisher

Subject

Arts Humanities Education Languange, Linguistic, Communication & Media

Description

Eralingua has been published by Department of Foreign Language Education, Faculty of Language and Literature Universitas Negeri Makassar. This journal receives research articles which examine about foreign language which use various approaches like linguistics, education, and literature. The Journal ...