Jinsia Na Kabila Katika Muundo Wa Mazungumzo Na Utendaji Wa Unyenyekevu: Mfano Wa Biashara Ya Miraa Miongoni Mwa Wasomali Na Wameru Mtaani Eastleigh, Nairobi-Kenya

ABSTRACT

Conversations surround our daily encounters and its the successful conversations that we undertake, that help us conquer the challenges that we face. However, for an interaction to be successful, co-operation while doing turns is needed amongst the participants. Interactants involved in a conversational exchange should try to maintain each other’s self-esteem by employing politeness strategies since social interactions are geared towards co-operation. Therefore, this study aimed at analysing the conversation structure among the selected negotiations between miraa buyers and sellers.The research was based on three objectives: firstly, identifying the conversation structure of miraa negotiations by traders, secondly, establishing the implication of gender and ethnicity of the traders on the conversation structure during the negotiations and thirdly, determining the implication of gender and ethnicity on the politeness strategies employed by traders during the conversational exchange. The study was guided by two theories: Conversation Analysis theory and Politeness Theory. Direct Observations, audio-recording and Focused Group Discussions were conducted to obtain data. Purposive sampling and Milroy’s Social Network Approach were used to identify the 48 participants from 8th, 10th and 12th streets in Eastleigh, Nairobi Kenya. The spoken samples of the conversations between the miraa buyers and sellers were later on trancribed in Kiswahili. Content analysis was done on the transcripts and tables showing the politeness strategies employed were derived. The study revealed that the traders used simple and complex turntaking structures, the repair process was either self or other-initiated. The females’ communication style shifted to the ‘rudeness standards’ set by the male while meekness was associated with buyers with ill-intentions. They employed different politeness strategies such as use of honorifics like boss, brother, Engineer to minimize imposition. Codeswitching was another politeness strategy that intercultural participants made use of especially whenever the seller or buyer was tempted to utter mean statements to the other conversant. The findings from this study will be important to scholars in applied linguistics and interactional sociolinguistics. The findings will have wider implications on important concepts like; gender, intercultural relations, power relations, and politenesss in intercultural communication. This study will also contribute positively to policies towards national integration whereby language can be used as a tool to break or maintain the existing social ties in intercultural interactions.