Abstract:
This research aims at studying linguistic strategies which interlocutors and mediators use for terminating conflict talk in Thai interactions. It also studies how frequent such strategies are used and explores basic socio-cultural factors related. Data used in the study of interlocutors linguistic strategies came from daily conversations, novels, and TV dramas. Data used in the study of mediators linguistic strategies came from conversations in TV programs. Results show that there are five linguistic strategies that interlocutors use to terminate conflict talk. When put in order of frequency of use from high to low, they are: 1) withdrawal; 2) dominate; 3) stand-off; 4) submission; and 5) compromise. There are four linguistic strategies that mediators use to terminate conflict talk. When put in order of frequency of use from high to low, they are: 1) making interlocutors withdraw from the scene; 2) dominate; 3) request for interlocutors compromise; and 4) stand-off. To analyze basic socio-cultural factors influencing how Thai interactions adopt the linguistic strategies, the study is divided into two parts. The first part is to study linguistic forms used for terminating conflict talk. The study shows that the linguistic forms which Thai interactions adopt for terminating conflict talk: 1); mai-pen-rai 2); chang-man and 3) jai-yen-yen. According to anthropologists working on Thai, these three linguistic forms are related to the Buddhist concepts. The second part is to use the Thai socio-cultural concepts that researcher have studied to explain the data. The study shows that the concepts of collectivism, interdependent view of self, seniority and face influence the adoption of the strategies used for terminating conflict talk. It might be concluded that these socio-cultural factors have influence upon the use of the strategy of withdrawal by most of the interlocutors.