Food experiences and categorization in Japanese talk-in-interaction
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Chisato Koike
Abstract
This study investigates how categorization of food is formed around participants’ experiences in their daily lives in spontaneous face-to-face conversations between Japanese native speakers. Building on previous studies on categorization in conversation analysis and cognitive psychology, this study examines how participants collaboratively share, negotiate, and create categories through talk about familiar and unfamiliar food in the emerging interaction. The analyses demonstrate that participants deploy socio-culturally categorized food in order to co-construct their temporal/ spatial concepts, identity, and personal/ social events, and that they utilize categorized food in order to achieve mutual understanding on unfamiliar food in talk-in-interaction. This study sheds light on the cognitive and interactional processes involved in the activity of categorization for group solidarity through conversational practices in social interaction.
Abstract
This study investigates how categorization of food is formed around participants’ experiences in their daily lives in spontaneous face-to-face conversations between Japanese native speakers. Building on previous studies on categorization in conversation analysis and cognitive psychology, this study examines how participants collaboratively share, negotiate, and create categories through talk about familiar and unfamiliar food in the emerging interaction. The analyses demonstrate that participants deploy socio-culturally categorized food in order to co-construct their temporal/ spatial concepts, identity, and personal/ social events, and that they utilize categorized food in order to achieve mutual understanding on unfamiliar food in talk-in-interaction. This study sheds light on the cognitive and interactional processes involved in the activity of categorization for group solidarity through conversational practices in social interaction.
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
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Part 1: Introduction
- Introduction to Language and Food 3
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Part 2: Process and structural organization
- Negotiating a passage to the meal in four cultures 31
- The structural organization of ordering and serving sushi 53
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Part 3: Talking about the food while eating
- It's delicious! 79
- Food and identity in Eegimaa and Wolof 103
- Modality and evidentiality in Japanese and American English taster lunches 131
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Part 4: Experiences and stories related to food
- Food experiences and categorization in Japanese talk-in-interaction 159
- Repetition of words and phrases from the punch lines of Japanese stories about food and restaurants 185
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Part 5: Talk about food with and among children
- Family mealtimes, yuckiness and the socialization of disgust responses by preschool children 211
- Early experiences with food 233
- “I needa cut up my soup” 257
- Healthy beverages? 279
- Author index 301
- Subject index 305
- Food names and descriptor index 313
- Commensality index 317
Chapters in this book
- Prelim pages i
- Table of contents v
-
Part 1: Introduction
- Introduction to Language and Food 3
-
Part 2: Process and structural organization
- Negotiating a passage to the meal in four cultures 31
- The structural organization of ordering and serving sushi 53
-
Part 3: Talking about the food while eating
- It's delicious! 79
- Food and identity in Eegimaa and Wolof 103
- Modality and evidentiality in Japanese and American English taster lunches 131
-
Part 4: Experiences and stories related to food
- Food experiences and categorization in Japanese talk-in-interaction 159
- Repetition of words and phrases from the punch lines of Japanese stories about food and restaurants 185
-
Part 5: Talk about food with and among children
- Family mealtimes, yuckiness and the socialization of disgust responses by preschool children 211
- Early experiences with food 233
- “I needa cut up my soup” 257
- Healthy beverages? 279
- Author index 301
- Subject index 305
- Food names and descriptor index 313
- Commensality index 317
