ABSTRACT

Goffman’s [1978. The presentation of self in everyday life. Harmondsworth] concept of ‘negative face’ recognizes people’s desire to be free from constraint. Freedom in expressing one’s identity, however, often gets threatened when that identity is marginalized. Using Brown and Levinson’s [1987. Politeness: Some universals in language usage. Cambridge University Press] framework, this paper examines negative face threats among employees who identify within the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer spectrum (LGBTQ+). It asks how negative face threats play a role in ‘closeting’ their sexual and/or gender identity at work. Thematic analysis of data from 35 semi-structured interviews, representing myriad forms of self-identification among the LGBTQ+ community, produced two general themes: direct messages from co-workers prompting closeting, and more general social norms evident in co-worker communication and interactions. This study explores important interactional cues from co-workers that participants see as constraining a non-heterosexual and/or non-cis-gender identity. Implications for theory involving increased focus on negative face and practical applications involving cultivating workplace climate, ally support, and heightened sensitivity beyond the workplace are examined.

摘要

戈夫曼 [1978. 日常生活中自我的呈现。Harmondsworth] “消极面子”的概念承认人们渴望摆脱束缚。然而，当身份被边缘化时，表达身份的自由往往会受到威胁。使用 Brown 和 Levinson 的 [1987。礼貌：语言使用的一些普遍性. 剑桥大学出版社]框架，本文研究了在女同性恋、男同性恋、双性恋、跨性别、酷儿 (LGBTQ+) 范围内识别的员工中的负面面孔威胁。它询问负面面孔威胁如何在工作中“关闭”他们的性和/或性别认同。对来自 35 次半结构化访谈数据的专题分析，代表了 LGBTQ+ 社区中无数形式的自我认同，产生了两个一般主题：来自同事的直接信息促使关闭，以及在同事沟通和互动中明显的更一般的社会规范. 这项研究探索了来自同事的重要互动线索，参与者认为这些线索限制了非异性恋和/或非顺式性别身份。