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Interpretative repertoires, conversation analysis and being critical

  • Ann Weatherall
Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Abstract

This chapter summarizes the 'Death and furniture' paper's argument in relation to some of the main issues that motivated its writing. Discursive psychology developed in an environment where scientific practice was becoming an object of study alongside other social phenomena. Relativism is social science par excellence: it does the job of questioning the assumptions that permeate different social practices, including its own. Realists use the furniture argument to suggest that, independent of any description, there is an objective world. The Death argument has an ontological side that links directly to the Furniture argument: it suggests that only a fool could deny the occurrence of death, disaster, misery, tragedy. Death and furniture argument contributes to a general discussion of ontology and epistemology and lays the ground for a discursive psychology philosophy of respecification and reflexivity. Finally there is a central point to understanding the commitment to relativism for discursive researchers exploring social issues.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding Chapter Peer-review

Original language

English

Publication milestones

  • Published - 10/09/2015

Publication status

Published - 10/09/2015

Publisher

Routledge, United States, United Kingdom

ISBN (Print)

9780415721608

ISBN (Electronic)

9781315863054

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/625769
  • Scopus: 84967103718

Host publication title

Discursive psychology: classic and contemporary issues

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