Reconceptualizing Impoliteness Through Honor and Collective Face

<p class="ql-align-justify">This study introduces the Honor-Impoliteness Framework (HIF), a culturally embedded model designed to analyze impoliteness in Arabic-speaking societies. Unlike Western approaches such as Goffman’s “face” theory and Culpeper’s impoliteness framework, the HIF captures uniquely Arabic sociocultural dimensions, collective face, honor and dignity, religious obligations, gender norms, and ritualized impoliteness. Drawing on a diverse dataset that includes television talk shows, social media interactions, ethnographic observations, and interviews, the study provides a comprehensive account of how impoliteness operates within Arabic culture. The findings demonstrate that impoliteness is not merely a communicative offense but a reflection of deeper moral and social constructs, including family honor, masculinity, hierarchy, and faith. Ritualized impoliteness, particularly among men, often functions as a means of reinforcing solidarity rather than hostility, while gendered norms reveal persistent social double standards. By filling critical gaps in Western pragmatic theories, the HIF advances cross-cultural pragmatics and offers valuable insights for intercultural communication, emphasizing the pivotal role of honor, collective identity, and religious ethics in shaping Arabic communicative practices.</p>