Some sequential structures in direction-giving

George Psathas

pp. 231-246

in: Human Studies 9, 1986.

Abstract

By examining the activity of direction-giving and asking we can discover some of the sequential and other structures which characterize the activity. The insertion sequence, as a sequential structure, can be found to be used by interactants in more than one way to accomplish different results. We can therefore consider the insertion sequence as a sequential structure and, by attending to the activity in which the interactants are engaged, discover the relation between sequential and activity system structures. In this way we can relate what persons are doing and how they are doing it (i.e. the activity being accomplished in and through their talk) to some of the basic structures of conversational interaction (e.g. insertion sequences).