SOLIDARITY (SOCIAL DISTANCE), SEVERITY (RANK OF IMPOSITION) AND POWER
Three pragmatic parameters influence the use of the pragmatic expressions: Solidarity, (also known as Social Distance), Severity (also known as Rank of Imposition), and Power.
These occur on a continuum, with different degrees of strength. In other words, it is not the case that something is either severe or not severe, rather, it can fall anywhere along a line of severity.
In research, the + symbol is used to indicate that a context may fall closer to the present end of the scale (Power, Severity, and/or Solidarity are very present in the interaction), and – is used to indicate that a context may fall closer to the absent end of the scale (Power, Severity, and/or Solidarity are more absent in the interaction).
