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Article published In:
Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict
Vol. 4:2 (2016) ► pp.202–233

Ritual, aggression, and participatory ambiguity

A case study of heckling

| University of Huddersfield, UK
| Performing artist

This paper analyses the phenomenon of participatory ambiguity in aggressive ritualistic interactions. One can ‘participate’ (Goffman 1979, 1981) in an interaction in different statuses, and these statuses entail different interactional constraints and obligations, also within the realms of language aggression and conflict. We are interested in a specific aspect of participation, namely ratification — the assumed right to participate in an interaction. ‘Ambiguity’ describes forms of behaviour which deviate from participant and observer expectations of interacting in certain discursive roles, without clearly violating (un)ratified participation roles. Examining the relationship between participatory ambiguity and language aggression fills an important knowledge gap in the field, as this area has been relatively ignored. We take heckling in experimental performing arts as a case study.

Keywords: participatory ambiguity, ritual, heckling, performing arts
Published online: 20 December 2016
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https://doi.org/10.1075/jlac.4.2.03kad
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Kádár, Dániel Z. & Juliane House
2022. Aggression and its (de)escalation in mediatised rites of aggression. Language & Communication 87 ► pp. 123 ff. DOI logo
Kumar, Ritesh
2020. #shutdownjnu vs #standwithjnu. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 8:1 ► pp. 29 ff. DOI logo
Horgan, Mervyn
2019. Everyday incivility and the urban interaction order. Journal of Language Aggression and Conflict 7:1 ► pp. 32 ff. DOI logo
Wang, Jiayi
2019. Dániel Z. Kádár, Politeness, Impoliteness and Ritual: Maintaining the Moral Order in Interpersonal Interaction . Internet Pragmatics 2:2 ► pp. 319 ff. DOI logo

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