POLITENESS PRINCIPLES, RAPPORT MANAGEMENT AND FEMALE LEADERS IN PEACE-MAKING AND NATIONAL INTEGRATION REFLECTIONS ON AGNES ANUKA’S THE WINGS OF TIME

Abstract

Peace is of global concern and involves the participation of all and sundry. Women participate in peace-making and leadership across the globe, though their critical role is often undermined by society. This study seeks to show how women maximise politeness maxims and rapport management strategies in their interpersonal relationship and leadership utterances to attain and maintain peace. It is anchored on Leech’s Theory of Politeness Principles and Spencer-Oatey’s Rapport Management Theory, which both dwell on politeness and its effects on the audience of speech acts. Agnes Anuka’s The Wings of Time is relied on for primary data alongside introspection. Some library and internet materials are relied on for secondary data. Twenty-five utterances in the novel are analysed. The analysis reveals politeness principles and rapport management strategies in female leadership style and peace-making advances. In the novel, the President deploys sympathy, generosity and approbation principles and several rapport management strategies to achieve and maintain peace and security in Mirania. The finding indicates women’s application of pragmatic techniques for peace-making and people-centred leadership. The study concludes that women usually deploy politeness principles and rapport management strategies to pursue, realise and maintain peace and unity, conflict resolution, harmonious co-existence, and people-centred leadership, thereby contributing significantly to global peace and national integration. The techniques are recommended to leaders and other individuals for conflict resolution, smooth interpersonal communication and unbiased intergroup relations.