Talk and Social Structure Studies in Ethnomethodology and Conversation Analysis

Talk and Social Structure is an up-to-date and provocative survey of current developments combining the complementary fields of ethnomethodology and conversation analysis. The book provides a distinctive debate that relates these innovative areas to important issues in the social sciences. Including contributions from many of the world leaders in these fields, the book offers both new theoretical depth and an extensive range of empirical studies that focus on the reflexive relation of everyday talk and social structure. Contributors include Emanuel A. Schegloff, John Heritage, Thomas P. Wilson, Hugh Mehan, Douglas W. Maynard, George Psathas, Paul ten Have, Robert Hopper, Hanneke Houtkoop-Steenstra, Graham Button, and David Greatbatch, with a thematic chapter from the editors. Through the use of many examples, they demonstrate that studies of talk are important in their own right, while also having fundamental theoretical significance for social analysis.

Deirdre Boden and Don Zimmerman are experts in the field of conversation analysis. They have devoted their careers to work with an ethnomethodological approach.

Preface. Introduction. 1. Structure in Action: An Introduction: Don H. Zimmerman and Deirdre Boden. Part I. Current Debates: 2. Social Structure and the Sequential Organization of Interaction: Thomas P. Wilson. 3. Reflections on Talk and Social Structure: Emanuel A. Schegloff. 4. The School's Work of Sorting Students: Hugh Mehan. Part II. Talk and Institutions: 5. On the Institutional Character of Institutional Talk: The Case of News Interviews: John Heritage and David Greatbatch. 6. Talk and Institution: A Reconsideration of the 'Asymmetry' of Doctor-Patient Interaction: Paul Have. 7. Perspective-Display Sequences and the Delivery and Receipt of Diagnostic News: Douglas W. Maynard. Part III. Structure in Action: 8. The Structure of Direction-Giving in Interaction: George Psathas. 9. Hold the Phone: Robert Hopper. 10. Opening Sequences in Dutch Telephone Conversations: Hanneke Houtkoop-Steenstra. 11. Conversation-in-a-Series: Graham Button. Appendix I: Transcription Notation. Notes on Contributors. References.