Abstract
Speech Act Theory (Austin, 1962) proposed that certain types of linguistic forms (e.g. illocutionary verbs) provide utterances with illocutionary force. Some researchers, however, have argued that SAT cannot adequately expound the macropragmatic features of language use, such as 'sequences of utterances,' and 'situational context.' With illocutionary force as our backdrop, this paper focuses on Mey (2001), who suggested SAT needed to be viewed from a social perspective. According to Mey, the force of an utterance should not be attributed to its linguistic form but rather, it should be regulated by the macro-societal framework, with the recipient being able to give a proper 'uptake' of the circumstances (or as Mey puts it, situational 'setting up'). Although this paper strongly agrees with Mey's macro-societal perspective, the authors suggest that his theory can be supplemented by micro-societal aspects of human interaction. Using the findings of four video episodes from fourteen participants, this paper aims to redefine the notion of force in terms of the constructivist view of communication.
