An Analysis of Politeness Strategies Used in the Grey’s Anatomy Series of Season 1

This study analyses politeness strategies used in the first season of Grey’s Anatomy. The study seeks to identify the types of politeness strategies, the factors that influence the use of politeness strategies, and explore the underlying reasons and motivations for the use of different politeness strategies in specific interactions in the Grey’s Anatomy series of the first season in different episodes by employing Brown & Levinson's politeness strategies theory (1987). The design of the study used a qualitative content analysis where selected excerpts were extracted from different episodes of the first season available on Netflix. Nevertheless, it is important to state that this research has several limitations. This study only covers one season of Grey’s Anatomy, which may mean that advances in character development are not entirely explored and generalisations may be restricted. The qualitative analysis is more of an interpretation and can be biased, although a comprehensive evaluation can be done to overcome these drawbacks. The study suggests that further studies should be conducted under this topic’s study for a better understanding of the relationship between the types, factors, and most used politeness strategies.

Brown & Levinson’s politeness strategies, Grey’s Anatomy

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