ABSTRACT
MANNERS are a big business in contemporary American society (“Minding our manners again,” 1984). Manners camps and classes are popular for children and adults alike. Books about manners, ranging from the proper wedding etiquette to manners in the office, are at the top of the bestsellers lists. Popular magazines count columns on manners among their most popular features. Americans generally seem to be much more concerned about social behavior than they have been in the recent past.
