ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to provide the knowledge of doctor-patient communication with special reference to the speech event of compliance. It examines the concept of face in events of noncompliance. The doctors’ discourse shows the unfolding of a complex and dynamic interaction in which the medical condition, the contribution of the patient, and the nature of the interaction all play a role in modulating the doctors’ responses to noncompliance. Two distinct patterns emerge from the data regarding the use of acts that threaten patients’ negative face. First, doctors may use warnings as a way to make patients understand the consequences of noncompliance with medical recommendations. Second, doctors may provide medical knowledge and education relevant to the patient’s medical condition. Medical consultations provide an interesting social setting in which to investigate patients’ face in noncompliant encounters because simply asking a question related to compliance can be a potentially face-threatening act for both patients and doctors.
