Conversational Realities: Constructing Life through Language

"This book is fascinating and--eventually--might prove very valuable for those concerned with SLA." --Studies in Second Language Acquisition Imaginative and original, Conversational Realities claims that psychological and sociological "realities" are both socially constructed and sustained within the context of our everyday conversation. In this interdisciplinary analysis, John Shotter highlights the socially contested--but imaginary--nature of the "things" we talk about in our social lives and throws light on the construction processes of these "things." Using interesting examples from psychotherapy, management, and everyday life, the author offers a broad-ranging exploration of the rhetorical, argumentative nature of conversational communication. Conversational Realities should be read by academics and students of psychology, communication studies, linguistics, and sociology.