Identities in Talk

Identity attracts some of social science s liveliest and most passionate debates. Theory abounds on matters as disparate as nationhood, ethnicity, gender politics, and culture. But there is much less investigation into the actual empirical details of how identity appears in the details of everyday life. This book gathers together, in a collection of chapters that draw on ethnomethodology and conversation analysis, arguments that show that identities are constructed live in the actual exchange of talk. By closely examining tapes and transcripts of real social interactions from a wide range of situations, using ethnomethodological and conversation analytic methods, the book examines just how it is that a person can be ascribed to a category and what features about that category are consequential for the interaction. This thoughtful volume is ideal for advanced undergraduates, postgraduates, and researchers in social psychology, sociology, communication, and anthropology.