Politeness theory (PT) explains how and why individuals try to promote, protect, or save face, especially when embarrassing or shameful situations arise unexpectedly.

Goffman's first essay, “On Face-work, focused on the concept of face, which is the positive image of self that individuals have when interacting with others. Goffman believed that face “as a sociological construct of interaction, is neither inherent in nor permanent aspect of the person”.5 Once an individual gives out a positive self image of themselves to others they then feel a need to keep or live up to that set image.

1. Face
   
   • All individuals are concerned with maintaining face (Brown & Levinson, 1978, 1987).
     
   • Face refers to the desired self-image that an individual wishes to present to others; face also includes the recognition that one's interactional partners have face-needs of their own.
     
Positive and negative face

• Positive face are a person's need to be liked, appreciated, and admired by selected persons. Therefore, maintaining positive face may include one's efforts to ensure that the significant others continue to view him/her in an affirming fashion.
  
• Negative face assumes a person's desire to act freely, without constraints or imposition from others.
  
It is difficult to achieve (hold, maintain) both faces at the same time.

2. Rational and goal oriented nature of human being
   
   • Human beings are rational and goal oriented with respect to achieving face needs (Brown & Levinson, 1978, 1987). Everyone's face depends upon everyone else's face being maintained. Therefore, one's decision in interactions with others often uphold this mutual construction of face.
     
3. Face threatening acts
   
   • Human being's rationale guide them to interact with others for mutual respects (face-saving), some behaviors are fundamentally face threatening. These face-threatening acts include common behaviors such as apologies, compliments, criticisms, requests, and threats (Craig, Tracy, & Spisak, 1993).
     

To create and maintain face, ones use facework -- specific messages that thwart or minimize face-threatening acts (FTAs).

1. Preventive facework
   
   • Preventive facework means one's acts to avert, avoid FTAs.
     
   • e.g., Avoiding certain topics, changing the subject, or pretending not to notice the occurrence of an !FTA, etc.
     
2. Corrective facework
   
   • Messages of which intention is to restore one's own or others' facework.
     
   • e.g., Use of strategies such as humor, apologies, accounts or explanation of inappropriate actions and behaviors, and physical remediation for the damage of FTAs.
     
3. Conflict between positive and negative facework
   
   • When your desire to appear unencumbered (having a sort of non-attractive charisma) outweighs your desire to be liked, you might need to engage in a face-threatening act.
     
4. Use of five strategies in one's facework
   
   • Avoidance: people may choose not to communicate in order to save their or their communication partner's face.
     
   • Going off record: One may subtly hint or indirectly mention the face-threatening topic or situation. Such strategy (hints and indirect mention) leave the message open to interpretation; hence, minimizing face threat (while achieving what the person wants).
     
   • Negative politeness: Speakers makes an effort to recognize the other's negative face needs -- the receiver's need of freedom and lack of restraint.
     

     I am so sorry to ask, but I need a huge favor. I know this is last minute, and I really hate to be such a pain, but could you cover my shift this weekend? I know this is really inconvenient and I wouldn't ask if it weren't really important. . . .
     

   This statement is my acknowledging the other's discomfort and potentiol restriction while still mangaging a sort of face-threatening act.
   
   • Positive politeness: The speaker emphasizes the receiver's need for positive face -- the need to be liked. Usually flattery and compliments are involved in the communication. One is camouflage one's face-threatening behavior with flattery and compliments.
     

     Bill, you are such a reliable colleague, and os well-respected. I feel like I can really count on you. Would you cover my weekend shift?
     

   • Bald on record: The speaker has no concern for others' face; simply commits the FTA in order to achieve his/her goal.
     

     Bill, cover my weekend shift.
     

According to PT, people use the above strategies tactically.
In addition to the above four, choosing FTAs with a different approaches may involve many factors: 1) understanding both positive and negative face, 2) understanding cultural differences or subtlety, 3) understanding the nature of relationship, and 4) understanding the communication partner's characteristics.

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