Revisiting respect and politeness: Insights from metapragmatics of zunzhong in Chinese public spaces

Abstract

Respect remains a core concept in the field of linguistic politeness; however, little is known about its emic conceptualizations and evaluations in Chinese. Drawing on online public comments in response to a “seat yielding” incident, this study investigates the types of expectations underlying evaluations of zunzhong (尊重, respect) in Chinese public spaces. A metapragmatic approach is adopted, integrating both quantitative and qualitative methods. The findings reveal a shift from the traditional view of respect as deference to age and status (i.e., asymmetric respect) toward symmetric respect, grounded in expectations of equality, reciprocity, and respect-worthiness. This study highlights the situated nature of respect, providing a nuanced understanding of it among strangers or outgroup members (wairen, 外人) in public spaces. These findings have important implications for understanding the interrelationship between respect, (im)politeness, and (in)civility.