The Analysis of Iranian Spouses AddressTermsin Light of Politeness Theory: A Case Study

Considering the influence of politeness strategies on the choice of proper forms of address, the current paper examines the variety of address terms used by spouses in Sardaran, Khuzestan, Iran in everyday social interactions. Examining the concept of politeness within Brown and Levinson’s (1987) Politeness Theory, the researchers investigated the impact of social variables of age and the level of education on the choice of addressterms. The required data were collected through systematic ethnographic observations and interviews. To this end, a total of Iranian 50 couples were randomly selected and divided into three different age groups as follows: a) 35-45, b) 45-55 and c) above 55 years of age. In terms of education, the couples were also divided into two groups: a) holders of a high school diploma degree (or upper) and b) non-holders of a high school diploma. The results of the study showed that, with the increase of their age, the spouses used more negative address terms, thus indicating a positive relationship between spouses’ age and the patterns of address terms used. Furthermore, analyzing the data revealed that with the increase of education, the relationship between the spouses moves toward solidarity and away from power.