addressing people whom one does not know well by first name<!-- --> | <!-- -->The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers

The Australian Dictionary of Invisible Culture for Teachers


addressing people whom one does not know well by first name

norm: when it is like this, it is good to do some things (see more)

Many people in Australia think like this:

When I want to say something to someone, if I don’t know this person well, it is often good if I say it like I can say something to someone I know well.

Because of this, it is good if I say this person's name to this person at the same time.

I can say this person’s name if this person is someone above me, I can say it if this person is someone below me.

"If Anne doesn't know Mark well, Anne can say 'Hello Mark' if she wants to say something to him."

"If Liam doesn't know Reuben Sanders well, it can be bad if Liam says 'Mr Sanders' when he wants to say something to Reuben."

boss/manageraddressing one’s superior by first name (superior’s perspective)projecting presumed social similarity and social equality in interaction


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