More Embodied Turn Examples

Four more examples of the turn-type configuration involving embodied action turns with vocalized and nonvocalized components are shown, and they provide additional evidence that such turns extend beyond the last spoken components and include nonvocalized components, some of which may be performed during places of silence in the interaction. That recipients orient to these action-turns in unmarked ways and with smooth turn-transition is evidence that they are functioning as valid turns. Co-present interactants use such turn-type configurations unremarkably to further a variety of interactional tasks, as these examples taken from everyday encounters illustrate. Transcripts of the four examples are provided. An extended analysis accompanies the final example, GOTHIC.

(Click on PLAY button for 4 "COMPLETION" EXAMPLES)

A. RUB

B. TIARA

C. WALK

D. GOTHIC

 

A. RUB

(Mel is examining a stone)

1 Mel: WHAt makes A:ll these HO:Les.

2 (1.0)

3 Alex: (h)I: didn't knOw 'hh AH:: 'hh

4 uh: (I thought about) som:e

5 [PEO:ple (0.8)

[((takes stone, bends, stands))

6 who uh [(0.2) take THIS a:n:d

[((EA-- bend-rub-------> <---

7 ((--EA---(1.5)------>))

8 (0.5) / ((returns stone))

9 Mel: they RUB their SKIN:? <---

10 Alex: Y:Es

 

B. TIARA

This fragment is from a videotape of interaction at a Habitat for Humanity construction and training site where a trainer is instructing a group of novices about the technical term, ÒcrownÓ, for the warp or arc-like curve of boards. ("Trnr" is the trainer; "Band" is the novice wearing a bandana; "Blue" is wearing blue sweatshirt).

TIARA (Simplified transcript)

1 Trnr: we are looking for the crow:n

2 (0.4)

3 Trnr: okay- (0.1) the crown i:s- (0.4)

4 like a cro:wn

5 (0.2)

6 Trnr: you know ((EA--whistle --(0.8)---->))= <---

7 Band: =((EA --nodding-->)) <---

8 (0.4)

9 Trnr: like a ((EA---(0.5)--[hold---->)) <---

10 [tiara =

11 Blue: = [uhm hmm?

12 Trnr: [((EA--whistle----> <---

13 [((-EA-hold-->))

14 Pink: [ t i A r a

15 (0.4)

16 Trnr: a crown

 

 

C. WALK

1 Alex: ... 'hh and i:f there i:s no: TRA:m:, 'hhh or

2 TRO:lley (0.5) I:- ((EA-walking-(0.8)--> <---

3 Alex: [((--EA-------------------]->nods-(1.3)---> <---

4 Mel: [you have to WALK?] <---

5 Alex: for two HOU:rs

((--EA------------(0.2)-]----------> <---

6 Mel: [TWO HOU:RS <---

7 Alex: ((-EA--nodding---->)) <---

 

 

 

D. GOTHIC

1 Eve: ... GOthic

2 (0.2)

3 Lil: yeah [(.) i like tha:t

4 Eve: [Ôhhh ((EA---eye/head roll-->)) oh <---

5 [beautiful

6 Lil: [I li:ke (.) uh- the music (0.1) c-cause it

7 always echo:es

8 (0.2)

9 Eve: hm mm

10 (0.2)

11 Lil: or if you go (.) OOoo (0.3) <---

12 the- ((EA--(0.4)-]------->)) <---

13 Eve: [yea[(h) hah hah hih hih

14 Lil: [hhuh hh 'huh hh

 

These four examples (RUB, TIARA, WALK, GOTHIC) with embodied action-turns provide additional evidence that such turns extend beyond the last spoken components and include nonvocalized components, some of which may be performed during places of silence in the interaction.

We will examine in more detail this last instance, GOTHIC, and our focus is on the way Lil builds her turn at lines 11 and 12 using vocalized and nonvocalized components. There is a vocalized phrase ("or if you go"), a sound effect ("OOoo"), and then a nonvocalized embodied action-component. The boundary of LilÕs turn extends beyond the end of her vocalized components. After Lil has performed one and a half rounds of her two-round, embodied action-pattern, Eve initiates her turn at line 13 (Òyea(h)Ó).

In line 11, Lil begins her utterance with the contraction ÒorÓ, thereby explicitly linking her forthcoming turn to an earlier turn at lines 6 and 7. Lil's "or" is followed by the lexical item ÒifÓ, which sets up a recognizably projectable grammatical structure with potential implications for the rest of the unfolding of her turn; that is, a possibly projectable if/then sequence structure is introduced. Furthermore, her turn as thus-far-constructed creates an additional sequential slot in the following way:

1. conjunction ÒorÓ linking to prior utterance

2. conditional ÒifÓ sets up an if/then recognizably-projectable

sequence with an upcoming slot for a ÒthenÓ to fill

3. following "if ____", her action-description Òyou go OOooÓ

sets up a slot for a consequence or parallel

action-description to follow later ("then ____") within the

framework of the already set up if/then sequence

Thus, Lil constructs the first part of her turn using these vocalized components followed by a brief three-tenths of a second pause. She has been gazing at Eve continuously and can see that Eve is attending to her.

11 Lil: or if you go (.) OOoo (0.3)

12 the- ((EA--(0.4)-]----->)) <---

13 Eve: [yea[(h) hah hah hih hih

So at line 12, Lil begins the second part of her turn, uttering Òthe-Ó, and abruptly stopping her talk but not her action. She seamlessly moves into and performs (twice) a vigorous, coordinated series of movements that fill the projectable slots she has created:

[then] + [action-description]

Lil physically displays for Eve what happens Òif you go OOOooÓ in a gothic structure. Note that just as Lil begins the nonvocalized, embodied action component, she shifts her gaze up toward the space her hands now occupy and retains it there as she performs, thereby directing Eve's gaze to this space by displaying for her that what she is doing there with her body is interactionally-relevant (see Streeck 1994; however, the last example in this chapter, Sewing, demonstrates that producers of such turns do not always look at them though they may do so).

11 Lil: or if you go (.) OOoo (0.3)

12 the- ((EA--(0.4)--]------>)) <---

13 Eve: [yea[(h) hah hah hih hih

 

A closer examination of Lil's nonvocalized, embodied action-unit reveals the following, recipient-designed structures:

- Lil starts by unclasping her hands; then she raises them and

her arms up in front of her face -- directly in Eve's line of

vision -- and continues raising them to a position slightly

above her head; the palms are more or less facing inside

toward one another and fingers are slightly spread; this basic

configuration will be sustained;

- as her rising hands pass her face, Lil begins shifting her

gaze upward, lifting her chin, raising up her upper body, and

pulling her head slightly back to accommodate the now

upward-directed gaze; Lil is not focusing on her hands but

at some point higher up just beyond her hands;

- also as her rising hands pass her face, Lil begins displaying

a smile that is sustained throughout the embodied

configuration;

- Lil moves her palms in toward one another and back out

again in an ever-widening distance (a round) twice during

the performance, sustaining her upward-directed gaze and

moving that gaze past some focal point, before disassembling

the configuration, bringing her body, arms, and hands to

home position, and re-directing her gaze toward Eve.

 

It is upon Lil's repetition of the hands-movement round that Eve begins her response Òyea(h)Ó in overlap with Lil's continuing performance. Note that Eve treats LilÕs turn construction as unremarkable, appropriate, and generative of an agreement token with appreciative laughter (she displays nothing to the contrary). Eve orients to LilÕs turn and shows her close analysis of its unfolding by providing a response just upon the start of the repetition of the nonvocalized embodied action component.

That Eve begins her turn in overlap with a repetition of Lil's embodied performance raises interesting questions about the nature and consequences of turn overlap when those turns (or components of them) getting talked over are nonvocalized components.

Section Four presents additional instances with occurrences of such overlapping turns. Co-participants display unproblematic orientation to them but they DO orient to them and treat them AS turns (or turn-components). All of these instances demonstrate various uses of embodied actions as turns and, as empirically observable phenomena, such recurrence of usage led to the formulation of Proposition One: that embodied actions constitute a fifth domain of turn-construction unit types within the turn-taking system.