Cybermitigation in Venezuela: interaction between college teachers and students through e-mails

Abstract

In this paper we describe the use of mitigation as a politeness strategy by Venezuelan students and professors when they exchange e-mails. A total of 26 e-mails were exchanged between 8 women and 8 men. The mitigation resources were categorized according to the attenuation level which they addressed: locution, illocution and origin of the message (Caffi, 1999). The analysis of the data revealed that both men and women use resources to soften the intention of their messages. However, women outnumbered men in the use of mitigation resources. We believe that, as women show more of their personalities, they tend to create discursive barriers to defend their image from any invasion. Moreover, when they reduce the social distance between them and their interlocutors the messages become less formal; hence, a higher use of mitigation is required. Additionally, we noticed that women use more mitigation resources than men in order to defend their image of autonomy and territory, while maintaining balance in the interaction between them and their interlocutors.