What pronouns do you use? The pronoun-sharing practice from an (im)politeness perspective

Abstract

This article focuses on the recent pronoun-sharing practice (in bio signatures or interactions) and demonstrates the need to apprehend the trend within a pragmatic framework. Basing her analysis on a questionnaire and extracts from the web via SketchEngine, the author shows that the different evaluations of the phenomenon cover the whole spectrum from politeness to impoliteness theory. Pronoun sharers evince what she calls "inclusive politeness"by paying attention to others' face needs. Rejecters consider the practice an impingement on their sociality rights. What they regard as an impolite act towards them in turn justifies their opting out of inclusive politeness. The author then evinces that there is a middle-ground attitude between these two opposed perspectives. Some people may not consider themselves allies to the cause and yet opt for the correct pronoun out of "civility", which can be either genuine or "virtue-signalling". The article proposes to see pronoun sharing as a preemptive act aimed at avoiding the damaging act of misgendering, and assesses the cost such a practice entails and to whom. It finally advocates for a Critical Politeness Theory, acknowledging the subjective position of the researcher and their critical third-order perspective on matters of consideration for fellow human beings.