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Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia

Abstract

This paper employs Membership Categorization Analysis to illustrate how laughables are used as a resource for establishing co-membership and identification with professional and ‘other’ social identities within a range of different work-places in Denmark and Norway. Conversation analytical studies have previously shown how laughables and laughter attend to a range of social functions such as affiliation (Glenn 2010), seeking intimacy and handling ‘troubles talk’ (Jefferson 1984;Jefferson et al. 1987). This paper focuses on the former of these functions and argues that laughables are a resource to propose co-membership (Erickson and Schultz 1982) and that epistemics (Heritage 2012b;Stivers et al 2011) are central to this process. While previous studies have documented the interrelation of professional and other social categories, this chapter shows that laughables are used by participants to foreground (or background) the relevance of shared identities and that this can work to bridge differences in either professional identities or other identities. The chapter furthermore shows how the shared common sense knowledge proposed by the laughable reveals broader structures of meaning and ideologies involved in local negotiations of identities and category memberships (Billig 1991;Billig 2005;Tranekjær 2014;Tranekjær 2015;Wetherell 1998).

Abstract

This paper employs Membership Categorization Analysis to illustrate how laughables are used as a resource for establishing co-membership and identification with professional and ‘other’ social identities within a range of different work-places in Denmark and Norway. Conversation analytical studies have previously shown how laughables and laughter attend to a range of social functions such as affiliation (Glenn 2010), seeking intimacy and handling ‘troubles talk’ (Jefferson 1984;Jefferson et al. 1987). This paper focuses on the former of these functions and argues that laughables are a resource to propose co-membership (Erickson and Schultz 1982) and that epistemics (Heritage 2012b;Stivers et al 2011) are central to this process. While previous studies have documented the interrelation of professional and other social categories, this chapter shows that laughables are used by participants to foreground (or background) the relevance of shared identities and that this can work to bridge differences in either professional identities or other identities. The chapter furthermore shows how the shared common sense knowledge proposed by the laughable reveals broader structures of meaning and ideologies involved in local negotiations of identities and category memberships (Billig 1991;Billig 2005;Tranekjær 2014;Tranekjær 2015;Wetherell 1998).

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Dedication v
  3. Table of contents vii
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Struggling to construct professional competence
  7. Chapter 2. Coping with uncertainty 21
  8. Chapter 3. Constructing a “competent” meeting chair 39
  9. Chapter 4. Juggling “I”s and “we”s with “he”s and “she”s 57
  10. Chapter 5. Epistemic “Struggles” 79
  11. Chapter 6. Who’s the expert? 95
  12. Part II. Struggling to (de-)construct in-group membership
  13. Chapter 7. You’re a proper tradesman mate 127
  14. Chapter 8. Indian women at work 147
  15. Chapter 9. The dynamics of identity struggle in interdisciplinary meetings in higher education 165
  16. Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia 185
  17. Chapter 11. Workplace conflicts as (re)source for analysing identity struggles in stories told in interviews 207
  18. Chapter 12. Identities on a learning curve 225
  19. Part III. Struggling to combine (sometimes competing) expectations
  20. Chapter 13. Managing patients’ expectations in telephone complaints in Scotland 243
  21. Chapter 14. Identity work in nurse-client interactions in selected community hospitals in Kenya 263
  22. Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’ 281
  23. Chapter 16. A kind of work 299
  24. Chapter 17. Adapting self for private and public audiences 317
  25. Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh” 335
  26. Part IV. Struggling to define identity boundaries
  27. Chapter 19. The discursive accomplishment of identity during veterinary medical consultations in the UK 355
  28. Chapter 20. Embracing a new professional identity 371
  29. Chapter 21. Identity and space 387
  30. Chapter 22. Household workers’ use of directives to negotiate their professional identity in Lima, Peru 407
  31. Chapter 23. ‘We’re only here to help’ 427
  32. Chapter 24. Epilogue 445
  33. Index 455
Identity Struggles
This chapter is in the book Identity Struggles
https://doi.org/10.1075/dapsac.69.10tra

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Dedication v
  3. Table of contents vii
  4. Acknowledgements xi
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Part I. Struggling to construct professional competence
  7. Chapter 2. Coping with uncertainty 21
  8. Chapter 3. Constructing a “competent” meeting chair 39
  9. Chapter 4. Juggling “I”s and “we”s with “he”s and “she”s 57
  10. Chapter 5. Epistemic “Struggles” 79
  11. Chapter 6. Who’s the expert? 95
  12. Part II. Struggling to (de-)construct in-group membership
  13. Chapter 7. You’re a proper tradesman mate 127
  14. Chapter 8. Indian women at work 147
  15. Chapter 9. The dynamics of identity struggle in interdisciplinary meetings in higher education 165
  16. Chapter 10. Laughables as a resource for foregrounding shared knowledge and shared identities in intercultural interactions in Scandinavia 185
  17. Chapter 11. Workplace conflicts as (re)source for analysing identity struggles in stories told in interviews 207
  18. Chapter 12. Identities on a learning curve 225
  19. Part III. Struggling to combine (sometimes competing) expectations
  20. Chapter 13. Managing patients’ expectations in telephone complaints in Scotland 243
  21. Chapter 14. Identity work in nurse-client interactions in selected community hospitals in Kenya 263
  22. Chapter 15. ‘Even if there were procedures, we will be acting at our own discretion…’ 281
  23. Chapter 16. A kind of work 299
  24. Chapter 17. Adapting self for private and public audiences 317
  25. Chapter 18. “I speak French=eh” 335
  26. Part IV. Struggling to define identity boundaries
  27. Chapter 19. The discursive accomplishment of identity during veterinary medical consultations in the UK 355
  28. Chapter 20. Embracing a new professional identity 371
  29. Chapter 21. Identity and space 387
  30. Chapter 22. Household workers’ use of directives to negotiate their professional identity in Lima, Peru 407
  31. Chapter 23. ‘We’re only here to help’ 427
  32. Chapter 24. Epilogue 445
  33. Index 455
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