A Pragmatic Analysis of Persuasive Communication in Clothe MarketingAnMeili
Abstract:
The thesis is an investigation into face-to-face persuasive marketing communication which appeared with China's transformation from planned economy to market economy ,specifically focusing on persuasive communication in clothing marketing. By reviewing the related literature on persuasion in rhetoric,social psychology,纵横术(Zong Heng Shu)in ancient times ofChina,it has been found that none of these disciplines have studied persuasion fully. JefVerschueren's Linguistic Adaptation Theory ,which was influenced by evolutionary epistemology,and attempted to explain linguistic structure by reference to non-linguistic pressures and causes, throws new light on persuasion.This study, through carefully scrutinizing the obtained data, by reference to the model proposed by DrYU GuoDong, builds a framework of analysis on the basis of Linguistic Adaptation Theory. Using the framework, the present study classifies the persuasive utterances of shop assiatants and individual sellers as adaptatoion to physical world (including adaptation to stretches of time, adaptation ofshopping environment, adaptation of physical appearance, adaptation to different sexes, and adaptation to different ages), adaptation to social conventions (including adaptation to the business tradition of being honest and reliable, adaptation of addressing, adaptation to some people's worshipping and having a blind faith in things foreign,and adaptation to the custom of figures),adaptation to psychological motovations (including the need for pleasing to the eye, the need for fine quality, the motivation for low price, the desire for esteem,the motivation to follow the consumption of popularity, and the desire to be complimented ).
There are a number ofpeople to whom this thesis owes a great deal.
My tutor, Li Yue e, is the first person who let me know what linguistics is. In the year of 2000, I decided to prepare for the entrance examination for graduate school ofShanXi university.But it was difficult for me to understand the content of General Linguistics which is a compulsory course for the exam.One day,before class,one of my friends ushered me into the classroom where my present tutor was to give a lesson on linguistics. I was deeply impressed by the lesson.From then on, I began to have interest in linguistics.
Fan HongYa, one of the most excellent students of my tutor, was teaching senior students Pragmatics andGeneral Linguistics in the year of 2000,I listenedto her class as an auditor.
Dr YuGuodong led me further into the field of pragmatics after I entered the graduate school of ShanXi university. He also supervised the thesis, and gave me, while I was writing, constant help,detailed adviceand the benefit of his wide knowledge, especially worth to be mentioned is that several times I wanted to give up the topic, several times he encouraged me not to give up.He let me know the importance of persistence in scientific research. One can do nothing when daunted by difficulties.
At last, I am also grateful to my family members.My husband , LI Yi, has been an unfailing source of support .My daughter has helped me to collect the data.