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Part of
How Emotions Are Made in Talk
Edited by Jessica S. Robles and Ann Weatherall
[Pragmatics & Beyond New Series 321] 2021
► pp. 129–162

Chapter 2.2
Shared affective stance displays as preliminary to complaining

ORCID logo | Tampere University
ORCID logo | Aarhus University
ORCID logo | University of Helsinki
ORCID logo | University of Helsinki
In this chapter, we examine how vocal and non-vocal affective displays are enacted in concert when moving into the delicate action of complaining. We specifically analyze complaining about third parties in the institutional situation of performance appraisal interviews. Reciprocal affective displays contribute to the organization of the activity of complaining, specifically, to the building of joint understanding in relation to the appropriateness of complaining activity and the relevancy of affiliating with complaining. To finish, we discuss the role of affective displays as managing social relational aspects of institutional interaction, with some methodological problems of analyzing emotion in interaction.
Keywords: emotion, affect, stance, delicacy, complaining, complaints, performance appraisal interviews, action formation, action recognition, institutional interaction
Article outline
  • 1.Introduction
  • 2.Data and method
  • 3.Analysis
    • 3.1Reaching shared affective stance
    • 3.2Lack of shared affective stance
  • 4.Discussion
  • References
Published online: 12 May 2021
DOI logo
https://doi.org/10.1075/pbns.321.05ruu
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