Mexican terms of address

Abstract In everyday interaction, interlocutors normally want to be socially seen in the best possible light and polite behavior will often involve elevating the status of the addressee(s) through expressions of respect, deference and social closeness/distance. In Mexican Spanish this can be seen through the use of the tú / usted address forms, the use of formal titles and formal/informal grammatical and lexical structures. Focusing on T/V address forms, we reject simplified and streamlined explanations and explore the use of interpersonal and transactional power as a major determinant of address forms. To understand this, we examine the correlation between relational power and address forms as expressed through hierarchical norms, co-constructed relationships and oppositional behavior. In examining the Mexican context, we examine how young middle-class interactants assess, re-evaluate and often restructure conventional practices by comparing and contrasting politeness beliefs, values and attitudes and use other adult groups as a point of comparison.