Introduction

This is a study of two ways in which adult males in New Zealand become members of groups. It is, in other words, a study in solidarity. The models which will be put forward both achieve the same ends: induction into a group through the acquisition of certain routines, specifically certain linguistic routines. These routines are most clearly seen in the acquisition and use of a set of routine formulae (Coulmas 1979, 1982) which exemplify the strategies the two groups use to make men members of their groups. The two strategies are quite different. In one group, formulae are used to save face; specifically, the face of players in a recreational volleyball squad. In the other group, sexual humiliation is used as a means of creating group solidarity through the loss of face the individuals who belong to the group suffer.

Preliminary remarks

If I use the New Zealand English formula Gidday with a wink and a characteristic quick southeast to northwest movement of the head, the conditions of use for such a greeting are relatively specific; it is an informal greeting to one with whom one is not intimate. It is not middle class but characteristically working class, and/or rural. It is often used when no response is expected.