Week 4 Lecture DR

Discursive Psychology Overview

• Definition: Discursive psychology is a perspective rather than merely a method.

• Approach: Moves away from traditional cognitivist frameworks toward understanding social actions through language.

• Key Question: Focuses on what individuals accomplish through their spoken words.

• Epistemological Stance: Adopts a social constructionist view, positing that knowledge is constructed through language.

• Function: Highlights how individuals perform social and psychological work via their language use.

• Transcription Importance: Transcription serves as a crucial initial step in analyzing discursive practices.

Session Goals

• Focus: Identify and understand the discursive devices utilized to perform social and psychological activities.

• Learning Objective: By the end, learners will recognize various discursive devices in conversations.

Social Actions in Conversation

• Always Occurring: Speech acts are aimed at performing social actions.

  • Example Statements:

    • Claiming knowledge: "I was walking down the street when I saw..."

    • Persuading: "You’re making me sad by not eating that."

    • Making Requests: "Could you check in the cupboard..."

Discursive Devices

• Definition: Tools employed to achieve social actions through language.

• Examples of Devices:

  • Expressing Emotions: Facial expressions, crying, talking about feelings, not taking turns.

  • Goal: Identify the devices in conversation.

Specific Discursive Devices

Pronoun Use and Footing

• Pronouns: Includes words like "I", "me", "us", etc. to categorize or reference individuals.

• Footing Concept: Developed by Goffman, describes how speakers position themselves in relation to their statements.

  • Principal vs. Animator roles.

Assessments

• Structure: Typically involves a pairing of assessments.

  • Objective Assessment: "That was so delicious."

  • Subjective Assessment: "I thought that was really nice."

  • Strength Variations: Ranging from extreme case formulations to weaker expressions.

Examples of Social Actions and Devices

Example 1

• Situation: Group conversation assessing enjoyment.

• Devices Used: Objective assessment, subjective follow-up, and completion tonality.

Example 2

• Situation: Child justifying refusal of food.

• Dynamic: Adult suggests obligation, child's assessment counters evaluation; adult shifts focus to quantity.

Lists in Communication

• Three-Part Lists: Commonly emphasize completion; often elicit reactions like applause in speeches.

• Everyday Usage: Can clarify turn-taking or express thoroughness in listing.

Affect Displays

• Focus: Rather than proving emotional experiences, examines how affect displays manage social interaction.

• Indicators: Crying, laughter, or vocalizations like "mmm" can signal emotions or responses.

Other Discursive Devices

Disclaimers

• Function: Used to preempt negative interpretations by framing perspectives positively before advocating a position.

• Examples: "I’m not racist, but..."

Metaphors

• Definition: Compares unlike things to deepen understanding or make assertions about behaviors.

• Example: Describing someone as a "pig" to indicate messiness.

Script Formulations

• Use: Regular articulations of behavior, implying norms within social scripts.

  • Example Statements: "He always does that."

Emotion Categories

• Distinction: Different from affect displays, these involve attributing emotional states.

• Purpose: Clarifies behavior, accounts for actions, or denies responsibility.

Category Entitlement

• Concept: Certain individuals hold exclusive rights to knowledge related to their experiences.

  • Example: An eater can assert "I don’t like this taste."

Stake Management

• Purpose: Speakers inoculate their claims to ward off counterarguments or skepticism.

  • Example Statements: "I know I might say this, but..."

Practical Applications and Activities

• Bingo Activity: Identify and recognize different discursive devices in conversation through an engaging group activity.

Conclusion and Summary

• Understanding Usage: Individuals utilize discursive devices to accomplish speech acts with significant social functions.

• Interpreting Conversations: Similar segments can be analyzed through multiple devices, highlighting the importance of these applications in the study of discursive psychology.