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Person reference and a preference for association in emergency calls

  • Emma Tennent
    ,
  • Ann Weatherall
  • Victoria University of Wellington
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

Person reference is pervasive in talk. Conversation analytic work has identified preferences in person reference relating to recognitional reference. However, the principles shaping nonrecognitional reference are less well understood. We propose a preference for association in an institutional setting in which recognition is not relevant. Our data are calls to the New Zealand police emergency line that were institutionally classified as family harm. Using a collection methodology, we found that nonrecognitional person reference typically takes the form my x which directly associates speaker and referent, for example, “my partner,” “my ex-partner,” “my dad.” Initial references that suggest no association (e.g. “someone” or “an abusive guy”) were subsequently revised by callers using self-repair or targeted by call takers through questions that seek clarification about association. The shifts from nonassociative to associative references demonstrate participants’ orientations to the relevance of association and are evidence of a preference for association in the setting under examination. Data are in English.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 235-252 (18 pages)

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Research on Language and Social Interaction (Volume 57, Issue 2)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 23/01/2024
  • Published - 25/04/2024

Publication status

Published - 25/04/2024

ISSN

0835-1813

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/626249
  • Scopus: 85191248932

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