Jim O’Driscoll University of Huddersfield, UK The Soto affair Working out the trajectory Some useful concepts from interpersonal pragmatics   Jim O’Driscoll University of Huddersfield, UK

Interpersonal pragmatics: axiom whenever people are in each other’s presence, whatever is holding their conscious attention, they cannot help projecting their view of: what kind of thing is going on themselves the other people present (and therefore) their relationship

What sort of thing is going on? Activity Type A fuzzy category whose focal members are goal-defined, socially constituted, bounded, events with constraints on participants, setting and so on, but above all on the kinds of allowable contributions. Paradigm examples would be teaching, a job interview, a jural interrogation, a football game, a task in a workshop, a dinner party, and so on. (Levinson 1979: 368) Frame principles of organization which govern events … and our subjective involvement in them (Goffman 1974: 10)

Frame for this encounter? The encounter as event WHO DECIDES At whose behest? ??? Arranged time ??? Initiation ??? Duration / termination ??? Topic ??? Demeanour of major participants JUDGE SOTO clothing …… …… posture …… …… props …… …… to address other …… ……

What’s going on, up-close? Footing A change in footing implies a change in the alignment we take up to ourselves and others present as expressed in the way we manage the production and reception of an utterance (Goffman 1981:128) examples involve an alteration in the social capacities in which the persons present claim to be active (Goffman 1981: 126)

Face (Goffman 1967: 5) the positive social value a person effectively claims for himself by the line others assume he has taken during a particular contact If you like: the self-image which a participant finds themselves projecting as a result of their understanding of other participants’ understandings of their footing

Ratified principalprincipal participants addressed other(s) (The operational aspect of footing) Participation framework (Goffman 1981: 129-143) animatoranimator speaker author author Ratified principalprincipal participants addressed other(s) unaddressed Unratified Participants = bystanders overhearer? eavesdropper?

Participation framework: Soto? animatoranimator speaker author author Ratified principalprincipal participants addressed other(s) unaddressed Unratified Participants = bystanders overhearer? eavesdropper?

Dances with footings Into - and out of - the social encounter frame well how, how much would you say you’re jewellery’s worth? Expressive use of hands [laughs ......................] Holding arms together under chin ....................................................................................... It’s not a joke, you know, we are not in a club now well you see we are smiles ........................................................ Smile broadens Laughter] OK but its.. you know .. kind of you know stroking hair with both hands............. not in a club be serious about it oh you’re being very ... I can see you’re turns chair towards Soto & hand gesture turns chair back, gaze down to desk I’m serious about it but it you just made me laugh Stroking hair ............................................... Continues stroking but one hand on chest ............ serious alright it’s alright how much is your Smile disappears Looks ahead turns head towards Soto .............................. you just made me laugh I apologize ......................................................................... Hand away from hair, held out ......................

References Goffman, Erving 1967 [1955]. On Face-Work. In Erving Goffman (collection), Interaction Ritual: Essays on Face-to-Face Behavior, 5–45. Harmondsworth: Penguin. (Originally in Psychiatry: Journal for the Study of Interpersonal Processes 18 (3): 213–231). Goffman, Erving (1974) Frame Analysis: An Essay on the Organization of Experience. Peregrine Books (Penguin) Goffman, Erving 1981. Forms of Talk. Oxford: Blackwell. Levinson, Stephen C. [1979] 1992. Activity types and language. In: Drew & Heritage (Eds.) Talk at work. Cambridge University Press: pp.66-100 (originally in Linguistics, 17: 365-399.) .