Talk in Action

Steven Clayman is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He has written extensively on topics relating to conversation analysis and is co-author, with John Heritage, of The News Interview: Journalists and Public Figures on the Air (2002). John Heritage is Professor of Sociology at the University of California, Los Angeles. His publications include Garfinkel and Ethnomethodology (1984) and Communication in Medical Care: Interaction between Primary Care Physicians and Patients (2006).

"More specifically, this book provides an excellent recapitulation of empirical work in four key areas of institutional talk." (Journal of Sociolinguistics, 1 February 2013)"Lastly, as a more general recommendation, I should say that anyone interested in the intersection of context, identity and talk-in interaction would not be spending their time poorly by exploring some of the chapters in this exceptionally well-designed book, and I feel it is safe to say that this book will remain the go-to foundational text for Institutional Conversational Analysis for some time to come." (Journal of Language and Politics, 2012)"As a whole, Talk in Action: Interactions, Identities and Institutionsis a highly recommended, state-of-the-art book for researchers who wish to explore naturally occurring processes and self-construction in face-to-face and telephone institutional communication." (Discourse and Communication, 1 November 2012)"As such, this volume provides a valuable guide to analytical tools for understanding institutional talk. Useful for students and emerging scholars of CA and institutional talk, this volume sheds light on both the analytical approach and conceptual themes that are relevant within these domains and beyond." (Discourse Studies, 2012)"By providing crisp, cogent, and compelling introductions to the fundamentals of CA, these books by Sidnell and Heritage & Clayman will undoubtedly not only help teachers create 'Aha' experiences for their students (Tannen 1984), but also attract and inspire future generations of conversation analytic scholars." (Language in Society, 2011)"Among the great assets of this publication is the comprehensive coverage of research on the areas in focus, conversation analytic or otherwise. This makes the book a perfect starting point for anyone interested in institutional interaction of the varieties described here. True to its conversation analytic roots, the book manages to combine this large-scale overview of the literature with detailed analysis, which is always highly relevant and revealing. This book is an impressive scholarly achievement, spanning a vast amount of research and a wide variety of institutional settings. Any student of talk -- institutional or otherwise -- will find this an indispensable source of conversation analytic insight." (Linguist List, November 2010)"Heritage's and Clayman's book is a comprehensive introduction to the conversation analytic approach to institutional talk, focusing on emergency telephone calls, doctor-patient interactions, interaction in court, and news interviews / mass communication . . .overall, however, this book is an impressive scholarly achievement, spanning a vast amount of research and a wide variety of institutional settings. Any student of talk - institutional or otherwise - will find this an indispensable source of conversation analytic insight." (Linguist List, 1 November 2010)

• 1 Introduction 1Part 1 Conversation Analysis and Social Institutions 52 Conversation Analysis: Some Theoretical Background 73 Talking Social Institutions into Being 204 Dimensions of Institutional Talk 34Part 2 Calls for Emergency Service 515 Emergency Calls as Institutional Talk 536 Gatekeeping and Entitlement to Emergency Service 697 Emergency Calls under Stress 87Part 3 Doctor–Patient Interaction 1018 Patients’ Presentations of Medical Issues: The Doctor’s Problem 1039 Patients’ Presentations of Medical Issues: The Patient’s Problem 11910 History Taking in Medicine: Questions and Answers 13511 Diagnosis and Treatment: Medical Authority and Its Limits 154Part 4 Trials, Juries, and Dispute Resolution 17112 Trial Examinations 17313 Jury Deliberations 18614 Informal Modes of Dispute Resolution 200Part 5 News and Political Communication 21315 News Interview Turn Taking 21516 Question Design in the News Interview and Beyond 22717 Answers and Evasions 24518 Interaction en Masse: Audiences and Speeches 26319 Conclusion 280Transcript Symbols 283References 288Index of Names 304Index of Subjects 309