Talk in Action Interactions, Identities, and Institutions

Talk in Action examines the language, identity, and interaction of social institutions, introducing students to the research methodology of Conversation Analysis.
* Features a unique focus on real-world applications of CA by examining four institutional domains: calls to emergency numbers, doctor-patient interaction, courtroom trials, and mass communication,
* Provides a theoretical and methodological overview of the roots of CA, reviewing the main developments and findings of research on talk and social institutions conducted over the past 25 years
* Showcases the significance of this subject to everyday events, making it ideal for students coming to the field for the first time
* Written by two leading figures in the field of Conversation Analysis

Introduction Part 1: Conversation Analysis and Social Institutions 1. CA: Some Theoretical Background 2. Talking Institutions into Being 3. Five Dimensions of Institutional Talk Part 2: Calls For Emergency Service 4. Emergency Calls as Institutional Talk 5. Emergency Calls: Gate-keeping and Entitlement to Service 6. Emergency Calls under Stress Part 3: Doctor-Patient Interaction 7. Patients' Presentations of Medical Issues: The Doctor's Problem 8. Patients' Presentations of Medical Issues: The Patient's Problem 9. History Taking in Medicine: Questions and Answers 10. Diagnosis and Treatment: Medical Authority and Its Limits Part 4: Trials, Juries and Dispute Resolution 11. Trial Examinations 12. Jury Deliberations 13. Informal Modes of Dispute Resolution Part 5: News and Political Communication 14. News: Turn-taking and Its Consequences 15. News: Question Design in the News Interview and Beyond 16. News: Replies and Responses 17. Interaction en masse: Audiences and Speeches Conclusion Appendix: Transcription Conventions References